


Leap Year Fears

by Kirabaros



Series: Chronicles of Absolution Season 2 [14]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Action/Adventure, Family, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-26
Updated: 2020-12-08
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:06:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 48,649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27717907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kirabaros/pseuds/Kirabaros
Summary: 2.14. Dean has two months left until his ticket is up so he decides on going on the Grand Canyon of hunts at the Morton House. Angie's game but ends up finding out more than can be digested when the Ghostfacers show up and Angie learns something interesting about the Morton House while facing fears that had been buried or ignored.
Series: Chronicles of Absolution Season 2 [14]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1013514





	1. Chapter 1

_Now_

The place was something out of a slasher film but the state of sanitation was something left to be desired. There were grease streaks, dirt streaks and things that one didn’t even want to know; it was a germophobe’s worst nightmare. Yet it was the only place to hold a fairly private conversation aside from a motel room.

_You’re planning to do what?_

“You heard me Bobby,” Angela replied as she made her body smaller than what it was in order to avoid contact with the walls. “If my first idea doesn’t work out, then I am going after Dean. I’m going to hell.”

_Of all the idiotic…_

“You promised me Bobby. Not a word to the boys about this and I mean it. You know what they would do if they find out?”

_Doing what I should be doing to you: hightailing my ass out to wherever you are and stopping ya. Angie this idea is like the Grand Canyon of bad ideas._

“Bobby, it’s the only way,” Angela replied calmly. “If the deal can’t be nulled before his ticket is up, then the only way is to go to the source the moment it happens. I will go and pull Dean out.”

_Yer crazy Angie. There’s no way in hell Dean would allow you to do that. Voluntarily jump into the pit?_

Angela rolled her eyes as she let Bobby rant on. It was an idea she had been toying with the moment she got her head clear and first talked to Dean about breaking his deal. It was always at the back of her mind that she would have to go to hell and bring him back if she couldn’t get his contract rescinded. It ate at her until she realized that she would have to tell someone her plans; that and Ellen pestering her when she last saw her. That was after the scolding she got for getting herself killed and then thinking it was a good idea to possess Jo and all that hoopla. It was worth it though since it got her moving in her plans; that and the fact she started getting things ready for her other plan.

_Irresponsible and stupid, idjit…_

“Bobby, it’ll be all right. I know what I’m doing.”

_The hell ya do. You planning on becoming someone’s puppy chow or in a contract yourself?_

_If you only knew what I had been learning_ , Angela thought to herself. She knew that Bobby wouldn’t like it but she was certain that he would help her. He wouldn’t leave her in the wind. “Actually I was planning on using a hot spot hell’s gate.”

_A what?_

“A hell’s gate,” Angela replied just as a pounding on the door sounded.

“Hey Angie, you almost done in there?”

Angela held the phone to her ear and listened to Bobby demanding what the hell she was doing. She made a face as she shouted, “In a minute, Dean.” She then turned her attention to her conversation to Bobby and explained, “It’s a hell’s gate Bobby. It’s like a devil’s gate but less… er… explosive.”

_You mean only one demon or whatever lives in the pit comes out. Hell no._

“Not like that Bobby,” Angela replied, “This particular gate is for travelers. Think Dante’s _Divine Comedy_. How do you think he got anywhere with Virgil the poet? Hell’s gates are a mortal’s way of entering and exiting hell…”

“Angie, what the hell are you doing in there? You’ve been in there for nearly an hour.” That was followed by some heated murmurs.

Angela rolled her eyes and shouted the first thing that came to mind, “Calling the boyfriend you idiot!”

The silence that followed was alarming but Angela was certain that they wouldn’t pester her while she finished her conversation. She turned back to Bobby and said, “Look it’s the only way and Bobby… I’ve been to hell before.”

_What? Whaddaya mean you’ve been to hell before?_

“Long story Bobby but let’s just say that is the reason why Lenya pestered me and why I have a messed up psyche. A year topside’s worth in hell can do that to a person.”

_And ya want to go back? Angie that makes ya the idjit of the year._

“But I’m the only one that can do it. I’ve been made to traverse the levels of hell as part of Lenya’s game. I know where to go.” Angela paused and heard Bobby getting ready to speak. She headed him off, “Bobby, I have to do this… I want to do this. Call it redemption for not stopping Dean when he made the deal and for failing to convince the council. Please Bobby. You’re the only one I can trust. Such a thing would be fruit for the gossip tree.”

_Angie… oh balls. Fine I’ll help ya but I still think that it’s a bad idea._

“Bobby, you’re a sweetie. Thank you.”

_Don’t go showing me your lady parts side. I’ll start to grow some. What do ya need to make this thing work?_

Angela glanced at the door before looking at the mirror. Damn she still looked like hell. That last fight with a spirit gave her a bloody nose and a bruise on her cheek. The bruise was still there. She replied, “I have a list. It’s in the study right on the stack of my books that I brought for you. Check the one that reads like stereo instructions on taking out hell hounds.”

_Sometimes I wonder how your mind works. It’s like Sam’s at times._

“I don’t know about that,” Angela replied with a smile. Bobby was always comparing her habits to either of the boys or another hunter he knew. Both he and Dean compared her thinking process to Sam’s and she didn’t think it was accurate but it was amusing. She gave a slight hum of laughter and added, “If you have trouble finding things, let me know. Thanks again.”

_Eh, the things I do for you. I should say no to you but… eh. I’ll call ya if I run into trouble. Take care Angie and don’t do nothing stupid._

Angela smiled as she heard the phone click. She slipped it into her brown suede jacket since it was shorter. She studied her face in the mirror again as she pulled out a small container of her wild yam concoction. Holding the cap in her hand she took a dab on her fingers and rubbed it on the bruise. It was fading but it was still visible. The more she put the wild yam on, the faster it would heal even with her healing abilities.

When she was finished, she washed her hands using her telekinetic abilities to avoid touching the faucets and the door handle. When she opened the door, she saw Sam and Dean waiting out there. Sam was looking apologetic as well as shocked and Dean was looking like he had just gotten his death day present early. “What?”

Dean couldn’t help it, “So is he the kind that likes a good hour’s worth of you know?” At Sam’s hissing, he looked at his brother and said, “Come on Sam. I want to know when Angie found the time for a boyfriend.”

“Sometime between the last pit stop and this one,” Angela replied as she pulled a scrap of paper out of her pocket to read it. She knew she had to get rid of the habit of scribbling notes on her receipts and stuffing them in her pockets. Half of them never amounted into anything or she never remembered what it was for.

Dean couldn’t help but laugh. Lately it seemed that Angela had been making a joke without intending to. “You need to tell me your secret Angie. Even I couldn’t get a girl that fast.”

“Easy, just ignore everybody,” Angela replied as she studied her notes. She couldn’t read it and was frowning and turning it every which way. “That or you just get lucky with a decent pickup line.”

“See what I tell ya Sammy?”

Sam looked like he was going to get redder at the turn this conversation was going. “Dean shut up please.”

“Fine Samantha,” Dean replied. “Seriously though Angie, what were you doing in there for so long? You usually avoid places like this.”

“Dean!”

Angela crumpled the note realizing that it was a reminder to buy more pie. She tossed it behind her where it landed in the garbage can. She turned her attention towards the boys and said, “Hey come on you two. Dean, your mind is way too much in the gutter and you both need to stop being busybodies. I was just taking care of a few bumps.” She pulled out her wild yam concoction to make a point.

Sam immediately felt concern over the possibility that she had an injury that she was hiding from them. If it was somewhere that was embarrassing then he could understand that. “You okay Angie?”

Angela smiled, “I’m fine. I was just taking care of this.” She pointed at her face as she put away the jar in her jacket pocket. “Can’t have all the ghosts like me right?” She nodded in Sam’s direction to indicate that she was fine.

Dean replied, “Nope but then again they don’t count.” He opened up the driver’s side of the Impala and leaned on the roof. “So you up for some excitement Angie?”

“If it means hunting, I’m game. Always am,” Angela replied as she opened the back door. “So hit me.”

Dean grinned. He knew she was going to love this. There were only a few cases that were chalked up in that category of special cases; the kind that he classed the grand canyon of cases. The Brazil case was such a case and it had been a while. “Ever hear of the Morton house?”

Sam rolled his eyes. Not this again. Dean brought it up while Angela was in the bathroom. He didn’t agree with it since they should be following leads to break Dean’s deal. However it seemed lately that Angela just seemed to go with Dean’s lead on things. Never once did she offer an opinion or an idea and he found that odd. He played along thinking that eventually she would say something since he thought that she was onto something and not telling for whatever reason.

Angela frowned, “No I don’t think I ever have.” She then smiled to tease Dean, “Did you think that I would know everything?”

Dean laughed at that, “Hey, we can’t let you outshine the college geek here right?” He made a motion to point at Sam.

“Eat me jerk,” Sam replied, “Besides its one that no one will touch.”

Angela raised her brow. She was interested in that. That might be fun and would take off her mind the slight disappointment she suffered during her lessons with Crowley. She needed a pick me up and she had to laugh at the fact that in order to make her feel better, she needed a hunt. Dean would say that most girls would go for chocolate and strawberries and that was too damn hilarious to think about since she didn’t spoil herself like that. “Really? What makes it that way?”

Sam took a look at Angela’s face and saw that interested look mingled with the puppy eyes. She was going to go the full nine yards if either one of them didn’t give her the details. He shot a look at Dean that said he was dead for even mentioning it. He looked back at Angela and sighed, “The thing about the Morton House is that every four years something happens and people who are stupid enough to spend the night there are never heard from again.”

“It’s the Grand Canyon of hunts Angie,” Dean added.

“Wouldn’t that be the Disneyland of hunts?” Angela grinned, liking the idea a little bit more. This was definitely the hunt to be involved in. It would be a good revitalizer and she didn’t have to worry about either brother pestering her about late nights.

“Disneyland? Where’s your sense of adventure?” Dean looked at Angela with his arms raised.

“Okay grand canyon. So when do we start?”

“Seriously Angie?” Sam looked at Angela as if she were nuts. He had been hoping that she would put some sense into Dean. This was not what he was expecting.

“A hunt is a hunt, Sam,” Angela replied. She studied Sam and saw that he wasn’t a happy camper about this. Dean had about two months left so the pressure was on. Her thinking was that she diverted attention from her issues in finding a solution to theirs. She could help them fix it while working on hers. It was hard though. She knew that despite their shared thing with the mystery spot and what she saw in Dean’s dreamscape, Sam was determined to save Dean and he was worn down by failures and dead ends. She added, “Look, there is a saying that I learned a long time ago especially on the few long term hunts I’ve been a part of.”

“Do you really think a saying helps?”

“For me it does. After all I’m the one who’s had to watch my strays over the centuries live and die and not all of them to a ripe old age.” Angela looked poignantly at Sam as she rested her chin on her arms. “Sometimes a suggestion from experience helps.”

“So what does experience suggest,” Dean asked trying to stop a potential argument. However he sensed that it was a reminder that she saw the world differently and just relaying her experiences as she did everything else. He saw that Sam saw it too and she was understanding enough to know his brother was venting frustration.

“Well it goes that ‘the saints cry over lost time’ which basically is a warning against idle hands,” Angela explained. “I like to keep busy and if it is a hunt, even if it’s one that is pure fairy tale, then I’m all in for it and let’s face it, we still have a job to do when a lead turns up empty.” She kept her head resting on her arms and studied both brothers. “Besides this has got to rank up there with the Silver Streak case we did.”

Dean grinned, “You know how I think Angie.”

Sam tapped his fingers on the roof of the Impala. He thought their time was best served trying to save Dean. However Angela did have a point. They still had their regular job of saving people and hunting things and they really couldn’t turn their backs on this. Dad had taught him and Dean better. He had to admit that Angela had a way of poking at the core of an issue. Sometimes she did it on purpose, like those six months after that Wednesday, and other times it was not on purpose but pointing out something relevant or just… whatever.

Sam had found that it was those times that he felt his focus return. He knew that Angela wasn’t giving up… At least he hoped she wasn’t giving up. He sighed and asked her and his brother, “So you really want to do this?”

“I find it nice to go on an old fashioned ghost hunt with a twist to it. I’m in,” Angela replied.

“You know where I stand Sammy,” Dean added.

Sam gave a shrug of acceptance, “Alright then. I guess we’ll take on the Morton House. We’ve got two days to get there from here.”

“Then let’s get a move on it,” Dean replied as he slid into the driver’s seat and started the engine.

Angela looked at Sam who was shooting her a look that she was sparing the rod and spoiling the child. In other words he was saying that he couldn’t believe she was indulging Dean’s request like this but it also said that he got her reasons why. She said nothing but slid into her usual place in the back seat and pulled out her computer pad. She began looking up information on the Morton House and everything associated with it.

The information she found was pretty consistent. The ghost appeared only once every four years at the house supposedly making it the most haunted place in America. She gave a slight hum and muttered, “Yeah most haunted. Try a voodoo priestess’ mansion in the heart of bayou country on a day dedicated to the spirits.”

Angela scanned her entries some more and read that it was sometimes called the leap year ghost since it appeared at the start of February 29 and no one has ever stayed the complete night and there was a good reason why: people went in but didn’t come out. It was the reason why the place was condemned and closed off. However there were accounts of people cutting and running before midnight though so that really was very little help. The missing persons reports though were interesting and verified a few things. She read the article and commented, “Yeah that usually means something is in there if someone disappears.”

“I take it you’re doing the usual Angie?”

“Sure thing Dean. Since I don’t know about this place, I’m boning up.” Angela bookmarked her finds and opened up her password locked entries and started reading them.

They were organized by subject and there were really only two categories. One was the hell’s gate stuff and the other was a set of notes, some hers and some given to her by Crowley on making and breaking deals. It was this category that she opened figuring that she could reread the section that Crowley had last tested her on and the same one that she had failed. It was a crucial portion and Crowley decided to be a real stickler on this part. As she started reading, she recalled the first lesson that she had with the king of the crossroads.

_Crowley stood in the middle of the parking lot of the motel. He was looking at the building with disdain, the same look he gave every motel but he had to admire the sense that his pretty had. He wasn’t surprised that she showed up and on time. He didn’t doubt that she would come because he knew her… well at least the part of her that was willing to go the distance for what she wanted. He smiled at her and said, “Glad to see you made it for the first day of school, love.”_

_Angela blinked slowly as if to control her temper. She didn’t want to do this but somewhere along the line she did agree with Ruby about having access to every means available. She didn’t like it but then again during war she had to do things she didn’t like. She replied, “We had a deal Crowley. I never go back on my word.”_

_“That you don’t love. It’s what separates you from the rest that work for me.” Crowley smiled at her and adjusted his lapel._

_“That brings me to ask why you insisted on giving me this,” Angela replied as she held up the thick tome that she had gone to great pains to keep from being accidentally discovered by the boys. She would have had a hard time explaining that one. The tome was labeled,_ The Handbook of Deals: The Do’s, the Don’ts and the Essentials of an Effective Cursed Soul.

_Crowley grinned as he saw it. He really decided to go to town with the whole schooling thing and he was going to bring out the big guns. With Lilith, if she ended up making a deal, she needed every dirty trick that could be played within their rules. He replied, “That is the required text, sweetheart. If you want to learn everything there is about what we do regarding deals… It’s all in there and perfected by yours truly.”_

_“You wrote this?”_

_“They don’t call me king of the crossroads for nothing.”_

_Angela raised her brow and opened the tome to the first lesson. She looked at Crowley and asked, “How is the practical aspect going to work? I’m not going to trick some poor shmuck into selling their soul to you or to anybody.”_

_“Relax princess,” Crowley replied. He was surprised that question came this late in the game. “Since I know that you are going to bitch about souls, I made arrangements for you to practice on mine and another associate’s. They are demon souls but still they will work the same way.”_

_“Well at least if I screw up I can feel like I have stuck it to you,” Angela replied in slight sarcasm._

_“Call it what you like. Now the first thing you have to learn about all contracts is that the prize is all in the wording. A Contract is a business transaction: something the schmuck wants for something the dealer wants and down to the finest detail… depending on how honest you want to keep the relationship.”_

_“So you include the fine print that slams the last nail in the coffin for the schmuck?” Angela raised her brow as she opened to the section that had a copy of a standard contract._

_“It’s a business transaction love. The goal is to make the best deal possible for you while making it seem like the schmuck won something.”_

_“Much like how I worded our bargain?”_

_“That makes it off to a good start with you,” Crowley replied with a smile. This was going to be interesting indeed. “You already have experience in wording deals to your advantage except for maybe that one made almost a year ago. You did a big no-no on that one.”_

_“I know Crowley which is why we are having these ‘lessons’ in the first place.”_

_“Then you won’t mind having a pre-test for me,” Crowley countered. “I want you do make the same contract but word it how you really wanted it. You will be writing it down on this.” Crowley produced a piece of parchment and a quill. “Use the quill and the parchment and write down the contract. From that, I will determine how to proceed.”_

_Angela looked at Crowley and then the parchment. It was like writing back in her day. It seemed that the old ways were closer towards the sentiment with the demons than she thought. ‘Oh well. It couldn’t be worse.’ Slowly she took the quill in her hand and after checking the parchment to make sure that nothing funny was about it as well as quizzing Crowley, she began to write…_

Angela stared at the screen, not really looking at the contents. It wasn’t like the boys could read it anyway since it was in the language of the demons. Crowley wanted to make sure that she could grasp how subtle the language could be when drafting a contract. The lesson that she failed was drafting the conditions of the soul within the deal as well as ascertaining its condition.

She now understood why the demoness Sam killed told Dean that his soul was tainted. Most demons liked to deal with souls that hadn’t lost their blood innocence, meaning that they hadn’t tasted first blood; making the first kill. She knew when Dean made his and it was in self-defense and protecting his brother during a grocery store robbery. She had tried to make it so he didn’t have to but he did and when John found out about that…

Other reasons for a tainted soul could be the types of emotions that it went through. Guilt was a gold mine but it was broken down into specifics. Then there were the souls that couldn’t be touched but even Crowley’s book didn’t have specifics on that. It made her frustrated in terms that it was like when she translated certain annuals from Siglione’s collection once. Language had many words but the trick was finding the correct one and translating it.

Angela was brought out of her thoughts when the music blasted a favorite and she put down her pad. She devoted her attention to answering Dean’s bad jokes with her banter. Sometimes she included Sam as they made their way to their next case.


	2. Chapter 2

“Sam I don’t get why you’re so against taking the Morton House,” Dean said as he stretched out on his bed and was preparing to dig into the creamy confection that Angela managed to dig up for him when they checked in.

Sam sighed. “Dean, I’m not against it as a case.”

“Then what?”

“I don’t know. Maybe it’s the way how you and Angie are taking this,” Sam replied as he went through his clothing bag picking out clothes for the night.

“It’s a hunt Sam and we’re treating it like a hunt. Also we haven’t had much luck on the main thing so it’s time to switch gears and a hunt like this is the thing.” Dean then speared a peace of the confection that he had been studying how to best dig in. He took the bite and savored it making the sounds that he knew would annoy Sam.

Sam rolled his eyes at the… whatever Dean was making. “I get it that it’s another hunt but even Angie isn’t this… cheerful.”

“Maybe she’s trying something new Sam. You know, the whole emotions and relationships thing… she’s now the infant/toddler with them,” Dean replied through a mouthful of pie. “Maybe she’s taking the whole separation from those Centurion dicks harder than she cares to admit.”

Sam frowned at that. She was sad because she was no longer a part of them? She was the one that let them know how she felt and they did the same. “Dean that sounds weird even for us.”

“Hey it could be one of those love-hate relationships. Hell she makes no bones about her feelings with Ruby and yet she is willing to work with her if necessary.” Dean swallowed the bite and sat up straight to look at his brother. “Look Sam, I know you’ve been trying real hard not to be on her case about every little thing and I don’t care the reason for it. Don’t break that streak now or if you have to ask, just take the reason she gives you.”

“So she is working on something.”

“I’m not saying that. I have eyes like you and what I see is that she’s dealing with something that she is not ready to share or doesn’t know how to share or it could be that she is stuck on the deal thing and she doesn’t want to talk about it because she is trying to figure something out.” Dean put his slice on the nightstand to sit on the edge of the bed. “She just wants to be helpful right now with our ideas and maybe it will jumpstart whatever is stuck in her brain. Hell you used to do the same thing when we were in school.”

Sam had to admit that Dean was right. Maybe he was making too much of it. It just was that it seemed like she just wasn’t interested in offering anything beyond muscle or translation when it came to Dean’s deal. It bothered him and he wondered if she was tired of trying to save their asses. She had been doing it since they were kids and they hadn’t known it then. Even that didn’t seem likely since she was still with them and she made the effort to come back after she died.

Sam knew it was useless to obsess over this. It was better to focus on the case they were getting into. He reached into his bag and his fingers brushed against something hard. Frowning, he pulled it out to find that it was an old, old book. He smiled when he turned it over to find that it was a rather battered manuscript notebook. He opened the book and there on the first page was what was best known as Crispin’s Day speech and written in flowing script.

It had been her Christmas gift to him which she had given after she had come back from whatever she had been doing. It had been a game they played that was started when she quoted Shakespeare on one of their cases. He had responded with one and she grinned and took up the challenge. It wasn’t all Shakespeare though. She would go to famous speeches, parts of novels and once she quoted Casa Erotica which had Dean laughing like crazy once he caught on to what they were doing. That made Sam blush.

They had recently started playing it a little but lately the quotes she had been using were more doom and gloom or super happy that was categorized as chick flick. Looking at it, Sam couldn’t help but wonder if she was using quotes to convey her thoughts and feelings. When she gave it to him she explained that she used to write portions of just about everything through history that she remembered and carried some meaning. He had asked her why she was giving it away and all she said was that she didn’t need it anymore since she memorized it and something to the affect that he was going to need all the help he could get if they kept this game up.

Sam had kept it in his bag and would often bring it out when they were stuck on a case. He found that reading a quote or two and trying to figure out what she would say in return was a nice diversion and it helped through the hard parts. It was now more battered than when she first gave it to him but the writing was just as clear as ever. He skimmed through the pages and found that there were at least a few blank ones left. He found it most curious as he finished pulling out his clothes while still holding onto the notebook.

An idea occurred to Sam and grabbing the motel stationary, he began writing something on it. Dean noticed what he was doing and recognized the notebook and asked, “You passing notes again Samantha? Are you two going to talk about the cutest boy in class?”

Sam gave a mild form of the bitch face towards his brother as he continued to scribble what he wanted. He replied, “Just and idea and shut up Dean.”

Dean grinned. He was well aware of the whole famous quotes thing that they did. He still busted a gut every time he recalled that one line from Casa Erotica she quoted. She had said it with such a straight face that even he had a hard time believing she had actually said that. He had heard her say some dirty limericks before but straight up porno references was a first. Of course she said that _Fanny Hill_ was a hit in its day and they hadn’t come up with anything new since. “Why not try a bit of Casa Erotica. She might get a kick out of the one with the Pizza Man.”

“That was one time Dean and it seems to have put your brain permanently on porno reality.”

“Hey that was a classic she pulled and I thought the rhymes about constellations were dirty.”

“Dude she was making a dig at you.” Sam didn’t look up as he finished what he wanted to write.

Dean couldn’t help but grin. “That’s because she loves me and knows what I like.”

Sam looked up and saw the grin on his brother’s face. His brother looked like he had been given the keys to a classic beauty and to Sam, that actually was a good thing. Dean hardly ever smiled anymore as the weight of the year ending was fast approaching. Maybe this hunt was a good thing and perhaps Angela saw that sooner than he did. He grinned and replied, “Yeah she loves the way how you stick your foot in your mouth.”

“That’s you bitch,” Dean replied as he tossed the remnants of his pie away. “I’m just cute and adorable.”

“Yeah and that’s why she calls you a pit bull.”

“Bull dog, Samantha. Get it right.”

“Dean have you even seen what a bull dog looks like?”

Dean went quiet as he thought about it. He gave that nervous look he gave when trying to bullshit his way out of a corner. “No but I know that they are handsome devils.”

Sam shook his head. He went back to finishing his note and tore it free from the stationary. “Dude you seriously need to think about it. You know she loves that who mystic attitude when trying to teach something.” He was out the door before Dean could utter a reply and down the walk towards Angela’s room.

****

Angela leaned over the open books that she had spread out over the table in her room and was writing in one of them with her meticulous handwriting. She should have been doing her ‘homework’ for Crowley but she was taking time off to write in her journal.

_February 27, 2008_

_Off on another hunt today. Dean calls it the Grand Canyon of hunts and judging by what he has told me and from what I have researched while driving there, it pretty much is. It is much like the Brazil case with the Silver Streak, a cross between real and fairy tale. The day that a case involving unicorns becomes reality in hunting, then I am definitely going to need a CT scan since I would definitely be going crazy._

_C. sent me another ‘homework’ assignment today in order to prep me for the next test. He really is adamant about me being perfect in every aspect of deal making to the point where I think he would rather have me join the ranks. As he says though, if one wants to know everything about a business, you go to the one with the expertise. They don’t call him king of the crossroads for nothing._

_I digress though._

_There is much that I wish to say and yet sometimes I find little to no words to describe what I want to say or I find someone else who can best convey my intentions. Lately that seems what I have been doing with Sam._

_That game we started playing to pass the time when Dean wanted to have a sexcapade… I miss it. Back then it was easy when I could rattle off a quote and create a whole conversation between me and Sam. Never did I take into account how different it would sound when my own feelings were taken into account. Maybe that’s why we stopped and partially it was because I screwed up on several levels especially with Madison._

_Looking back, maybe I should have handled it better. Back then I was well equipped to deal with outbursts and angry looks; I got them all the time and most of my life. The fact that I let my own personal feelings get in the way to save a young boy… Now I feel like I am treading on eggshells. Sam has been trying and I suspect that after my ‘accident’ at the hands of Lilith at Monument, he’s been trying to be nice. I would rather he say what’s on his mind but I am a coward. I am more afraid of what he actually wants to say and I feel weak._

_I have to hand it to Dean who understands a lot more than what he shows to people. Being intelligent is not always about a classic education; it’s also the ability to read the world as it functions and respond to it accordingly. I admit that I was surprised that he saw my feelings for what they were before I knew about them. He was nice enough to let me know that it was okay but being it my nature, I have misgivings. At least he tries not to trample on my feelings. He knows how I feel about being a family but that one step further… he knows that pushing the wrong way would sending me running to the hills. He would say that I’m the bravest person and all that but it’s like how I mentioned before I think to Sam. It’s all a cover and it’s to protect what I am afraid of._

_If the truth should be told in these pages, I am afraid of what will happen when Dean’s ticket comes due. I know Ruby gave me a method and I must have been crazy enough to take a bite but C. didn’t deny that it could work. His concern is Lilith. I understand why most would fear her since she is the first and that means she does pack a powerful punch. However I think C. is afraid that I will go to extremes like sell my soul; like that’s a plan._

_In addition to the homework, C. told me that he is working on my request for Lilith’s seal. I know that’s not something you just scrounge up. Even I know that there are rules to summoning who and what you want. The more specific you make it, the better your chances of getting what you seek and I know that from experience. I teased him about going into the archives of the Hell library and he gave me the sourest look he has ever given me. He didn’t have to do it but he indulged me like Bobby does and I am at a loss as to why. C. calls me his sweetheart and I get the impression that he is obsessed with me and I’m not talking about getting revenge for killing his favorite poodle or something equally absurd; this is full out like a lovesick boy in a weird twisted sort of way and I am not sure if I should run for the hills or work with it. It could prove a benefit but also a downfall. Who is to stop C. from revealing our little conversations to the boys?_

_As I write this I am now thinking about it and I feel like I did when I realized I screwed Dean royally. No wonder C. is amused at my insistence on learning how to make and break them. He knows that in the end I will screw it up. I can see why he works me so hard with everything even going so far as to give me my assignments in the demon language back to ancient pronunciations. At least my contingency plan with Bobby is sort of on track._

_Bobby has every right to call me an idjit and I don’t blame him. Going into hell to retrieve Dean; not the best idea I agree but it is the best one if I can’t do the demon way of breaking it. My way of thinking is that if Dean is already in the pit and if I stick it to the bitch princess’ daddy, then I am not breaking any rules. Dean would technically be dead. The only problem I foresee is getting Dean’s soul back into his body._

Angela looked up from her writing to look out the window. She had pulled the curtain back enough for her to look out and keep an eye out. Mostly she was looking up in thought about whether or not to put what was on her mind next on the paper.

_… I gave Bobby the list in regards to setting up how to open a hell’s gate, particularly the hot spot version. I have the list regarding the soul and boy is it ambitious. I have half a mind to call to Gabe for help but I know he won’t answer. He still thinks he is unworthy. Such sadness coupled with fear. Misery truly loves company._

Angela finished her entry and gently closed her journal. She had taken a break from studying Crowley’s assignment. She saw where she had gone wrong before but she was certain that the bastard was going to change it up the next time they had a test. At least he stuck to his end by using his soul or that of the unfortunate demon schmuck he convinced would be a good learning experience. In her mind it was a punishment for some perceived wrong on Crowley’s end. She had to admit that was what she would have done: kill two birds with one stone in the teaching and the punishing.

_My God I’m thinking too much like Crowley._

In a fit of temper, Angela shoved the handbook he had given her away and it hit the floor with a thud. Normally she wasn’t so callous with a book but this was one book that she could honestly say that she hated. It read like handy guidebooks like how to write a paper or something and was written in that infernal language that Crowley insisted that she communicate and write her mock contract in. She would rather burn the thing at times but she persevered. She put her hand to her forehead as a headache started coming on.

Suddenly there was a tap at her door and something skittering on the floor. Angela’s first instinct was to shoot it, thinking a bug or a small critter. However she let reason dictate her actions and walked over to the door. She found a scrap of paper that had been shoved under the door. Frowning a little in puzzlement, she picked it up and slowly opened it.

It was motel stationary. That was the easy part since the stupid logo was on it. The scrawl though had her amused as she read the content, recognizing the scrawl.

_Give sorrow words; the grief that does not speak knits up the o-er wrought heart and bids it break._

_Lay your weary head to rest._

Angela couldn’t help but laugh out loud as she read it again. She had to admit that it was ingenious of Sam to talk to her. She sobered though because even this way wouldn’t make her spill forth what she had buried. She had to admit that it cheered her greatly and set about thinking her reply. She would have to ask him what prompted this eventually.

****

Sam was up early as usual and a glance at Dean said that he would be that way for at least another hour. That is until someone decided to turn the alarm on. He stretched as he sat up only to have his notebook fall to the ground with a thud having fallen asleep from reading it the night before. He picked it up and straightened the pages before hiding it from Dean’s view. It was then he noticed something sticking from under the door.

He picked it up and found that it was torn from the motel stationary. It was a reply to his note from the night before. He opened it and read what she had written.

_Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be. People who like this sort of thing will find this the sort of thing they like. Free at last, free at last._

He understood the first portion pretty clearly. She was fine so he supposed he shouldn’t have worried. The last part had him thinking. He found it particularly interesting that she had used quotes from Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King. Both were clear advocates for Civil Rights and freedom. It then occurred to him that she was more likely referencing to the fact that the Centurion more or less kicked her out.

Something caught his eye and he realized that there was a little bit more scrawled near the bottom more like an afterthought. He squinted to make sense of the writing that appeared crabbed.

_One’s philosophy is not best express in words; it is express in the choices one makes…_

After that he began to hear what sounded like humming but there were some words to it. He recognized her voice as she walked by. Dean started to stir and for once, deciding to give Dean a taste of his own medicine, grabbed his clothes and heading towards the bathroom. He could honestly grin while he figured out a reply to hers.

It was twenty minutes later and another five tacked on when they realized that Angela had already checked out and couldn’t be found. Dean was ready to curse since they had to hit the road if they wanted to get to the Morton House. He didn’t though when he found that she was already asleep inside the Impala and it appeared that she was listening to her iPod.

Dean wasted no time in opening up the driver’s side and sticking his head in and saying, “Angie you trying to be funny or something?”

Angela slowly opened her eye and seeing Dean’s face, replied, “Knock on the sky and listen to the sound.*” She then stretched. “You two are late risers today. I thought you wanted to get an early start Dean.”

Dean looked at Sam who shrugged his shoulders and replied, “You did say that Dean.”

Dean made a scowl. It grew bigger when Angela added, “When they go fishing, it is not really fish they are after. It is a philosophic meditation.”

“And I’m gonna meditate your ass if you keep that crap up.” Dean started the engine and peeled out. He could still make it in good time. He was more upset that they had spent five minutes looking for her when she was there the whole time and neither he nor Sam thought to check the car until the last moment.

Angela made a slight face that was bemused and judging by the way Sam’s shoulders were shaking, he was laughing. She made a slight hum and ignored Dean’s outburst. Instead she began humming the tune she was listening to and tapping her fingers on the seat and book she was holding as she leaned against the duffle in the back.

Dean looked in the rearview mirror and saw her turn to smirk at him. He said, “You really like making us work our asses off don’t ya?”

“I have no idea what you are talking about Dean,” Angela replied as she just continued to lounge in the back. “I was waiting for you and I was bored so I went back to sleep.”

“And usually you give a wakeup call.”

“When the student is ready, the master appears,” Angela countered as she opened her book and began reading the bookmarked page.

“Do you have to be all philosophical?”

“You set the stage and Shakespeare said that all the world’s a stage and we are merely the players.”

Dean thought this was the most bizarre conversation he ever had. Everything he was saying was countered by some weird and random quote. He was astute enough to realize that she was playing the game she played with Sam and he turned towards his brother and said, “This is all your fault.”

“My fault?” Sam was trying to figure out how this was his fault.

“You started this whole mixing up your famous persons quotes and talking with them,” Dean spluttered.

“Dude, all I did was ask Angie a question and I did it the best way I knew how.”

“Yeah by quoting Shakespeare and Kansas. Now that is lame even for you Sam,” Dean replied as he turned onto the highway that would take them towards the Morton House. “At least go with a theme or something.”

“And I thought this stuff pissed you off and what where you doing reading it anyway?” Sam looked at Dean with a slight scowl.

“I happened to catch a glimpse before you decided to play postman. Too bad you didn’t go all the way,” Dean added with a smirk. He knew that Sam was going to retort heatedly about it and… He got a punch to the back of his right shoulder. “Hey!”

“You’re confusing porn with reality again Dean,” Sam said not apologizing for the punch. “It was just a friendly conversation.”

“That seems to have hit aggressive negotiations at this point,” Angela interjected as she turned the page of her book.

“I give up,” Dean replied with a slight smirk on his face. “I’m through arguing with you.”

“Ah and twilight is upon us,” Angela replied changing the quote. “Then again it is simple in that maybe nobody listens to you since you’re obnoxious and disliked.”

“You are driving me to homicide,” Dean retorted. He looked over at Sam and at the look he said, “Shut up Sam. How else was I supposed to learn about the Revolution?”

“I don’t even want to know,” Sam replied feeling a bit better about the upcoming hunt. He felt a tap on his shoulder and was handed a scrap of paper.

_You can’t wake a person who is pretending to sleep. So the Navajo tell me…_

Sam snickered quietly as Dean continued to drive. She had a way of picking the right saying to produce laughter. He had to think of one to send back.


	3. Chapter 3

_February 28, 2008_

_Arrived in the town where the Morton House is. Sam and I didn’t complain about the choice of music since its house rules anyway and we let Dean pick the joint to grab a bite. It was midday when we arrived so the day will most likely be spent going over the last minute news clippings Sam will find and loading the shotguns loaded with salt rounds._

_Decided to take a look at the Morton House on my own and in the daylight; so as not to worry the two nannies that babysit me at times. What I can say is that it actually looks like a haunted house though I’ve seen worse…_

Angela stood outside the Morton House… well she was as close as she was going to get to it at this time of day. She wanted to see for herself the place and judge the hazards and all that good shit. Mostly she wanted time to be alone with her thoughts.

The Morton House was fenced off and locked, virtually condemned and made to distract people from deciding to have fun and try to stay the night in the place. At least the local law enforcement was doing something about it though they couldn’t understand it. No one really understood it if they never had the veil lifted meaning seeing ghosts and the other things that could get you. For most, it was probably the best thing for them.

She was no stranger to strange deaths and happenings since she was certain that she had caused a few of them. One of her more famous escapades was the Jane the Ripper case. She considered the label very unoriginal but since it was roughly within the same district as the original Jack the Ripper cases she could see the logic.

That was a time before she discovered the concoction that could dissolve bodies and not leave a trace. Her ‘bloody carnages’ were the vampires that had been staked with dead man’s bloodied stakes and chopped off heads. Some did look like they were ravaged a bit. One of her victims was the actual Jack the Ripper who, to no big surprise, was a vampire and rather a bit of a sadist.

_1650, give or take a decade_

_Another raining night and nothing special about it; the bang tails and other poor schmucks paying for favors are out in force. A perfect night for the night walkers to be out in force, being the bloodsuckers they are. This night and any night would be a night for them since it wouldn’t matter given what they are._

_The old meat house is the most appropriate somewhat for a nest of bloodsuckers. Careful scouting revealed that they have two guards. They probably tipped off the police or someone is in their pocket so caution must be exhibited…_

That spree ended up making the history books and she ended up getting caught in the background of one of the pictures. She was right behind the chief inspector of the case and the reason for that was more along the lines that she was feeding him information. The man was a hunter who worked for the police. He was the one who filled her in on the murders and the strange sightings and told her the one complaint one of the bang tails at White Chapel made about the gentlemen biting her and drinking her blood.

_… They are all dead. I even found an old friend. Yes I found Jack the Ripper. The sadist is dead and of course Inspector Hawkins will get the credit. After all who wants to believe that a half bloodsucker like me is capable of doing any good?_

That was dismissed as more of a lie. Angela had taken care of it then just like she did before moving to the Americas. She left Europe behind except when she went back near the end of 1911 for whatever reason and came back in April 1912 on supposedly the greatest luxury liner ever that never made it. She did though on a smaller ship called the Carpathia.

Looking at the house, Angela knew that she had gone through many experiences and gleaned lessons from them. She was remembering the voodoo priestess’ mansion and the fun time she unleashed with all those spirits. The bitch loved her bad juju and the demon she ended up summoning… that went pretty bad.

The house reminded her of that mansion; so full of lore and superstition and whatever from the stories told. This one had its quirks though. To the naked eye, it looked just like a junky old house with the weathered wood and broken glass. The weeds around the place added to the old feeling. She could also sense the spirit around there. He may not be showing up until midnight but she had enough experience to detect the spiritual energy and all that stuff; the stuff that would be considered ‘positive thinking’ or ‘the secret’ like that demon bitch Tammy mocked the desperate housewives.

“You should be focusing more on your plans rather than staring out at this place.”

Angela pivoted on her heel to face her least favorite person in this world. “Ruby, I’m surprised that you even want to be near me again after what I did to your face.”

Ruby was the queen in pissed bitch faces and she was showing it now and not liking the fact that Angela was just smiling at her as if everything were a joke. “A moment of weakness while checking on the horse that I betted on after the mess you caused in Sioux Falls.”

“Oh yes I caused a mess. I was the one who sent a rippled through the spirit realm to the point that every demon within the radius felt it. It wouldn’t surprise me that Lilith felt it. So really Ruby what do you want to hound me about this time?”

Ruby raised her brow impressed at the backbone Angela was showing while still maintaining the look of hostility. She replied, “Alright. I am here to bug you on your plan to go after Lilith.”

Angela gave a huff of a sigh that was more of a mocking laugh. “If I’m not mistaken, you were the one that suggested it. Go after the one that holds the contract and take for myself.”

“That was before it was discovered that Lilith holds it. For whatever reason, you can be sure it isn’t because of Dean’s sparkling personality,” Ruby countered. She put her hands in her jacket pocket. “Look, while I can admire that for once you are doing what needs to be done, I’m here to tell you to stop and right now.”

Angela turned to look at Ruby with a raised brow of surprise. She almost laughed out loud at what she was certain she was hearing as a pleading from Ruby. She replied, “You? Asking me to stop? This coming from the one who says that one must strike hard and fast and leave no survivors.”

“I still hold to that. It is the only way to win a war like this,” Ruby admitted, “However not in your case.”

“Please don’t’ tell me you’re concerned for my welfare. I may have to kill you on principle and hang the consequences.”

“Hey I want to skin you alive myself but I don’t because if I do, dumbass and Sam would throw a hissy and from what I hear, it was part of the problem in Sioux Falls.” Ruby put her hands on her hips and emphasized with her head. This was going to be harder than she thought. It seemed that Absolution had grown up much faster than Sam had and now she was dealing with the rebellious teenager and it was damned annoying.

“I didn’t know you had such affection for me,” Angela replied with her voice heavy with sarcasm. She then sobered a little and asked, “So why is it that you want me to stop?”

“Do I have to spell everything out to you? This is Lilith we are talking about or did being dead and nearly dead by a young werewolf did something to your brain?” Ruby looked like she was going to blow a head gasket. “Have you been listening to anything I have been saying?”

“Yeah I have,” Angela replied while giving an affirmative shake of her head. “I’m just remembering very poignantly how you pushed for striking hard and fast but then backing out just because you dislike the plan we chose.”

“Your plan had the body count in case you forgot.”

“And you punked out when the going got tough.” Angela gave a raised brow. “You trying to do the same thing again? Thinking you bet on the wrong horse again?”

Ruby was still scowling but her face turned into a slight pout. “I think you’d lose and I’d rather not watch you kill yourself.”

“You know you are capable of breaking hearts if you just lose the scowl,” Angela replied surprised at the honesty that was in Ruby’s voice. She still didn’t like the bitch but she was surprised. “So you’d rather take me out yourself?”

Ruby looked up and narrowed her eyes at Angela. “Not yet but I will. Stop what you are doing. Seeking Lilith out now is suicide.”

“You’re the one that has said that I was the only one capable of doing it. It’s the only way that I’m going to get Dean’s contract.” Angela studied Ruby a little more. She thought about what she wanted to say and added, “Because of you I was reminded of something someone told me a long time ago. Three strikes and you are not out. There is always one more thing that could be done. You said that there was no way of getting out of the deal but you gave the key. Now I am inclined to think that you have something up your sleeves.”

Ruby shook her head. She knew that Angela would have picked up on that discrepancy. She was known for paying attention to details often to the point that it was disarming. “Like I was going to tell Dean that you were capable of snagging his contract for yourself and ending it on your terms. He would have protested right off even though you have the right to do it.”

“He would have and he would have listened to the logic before casting judgment,” Angela replied, “But you are right in that he would insist upon me not going for it; hence the reason why I haven’t said a word about that plan. You see I have learned something from you.”

“You still should back off. Lilith knows that you are onto her in terms of her not liking the competition so she knows that you’ll be coming after her. She’ll get the hint that you don’t like her coming after Sam.”

Angela resisted the urge to sharply turn and look at Ruby. It was no secret that she pounced like a wild cat to defend the boys. She wondered though that she might have been a bit overzealous in some cases and that might have shown. She found it nerve wracking that Ruby would mention Sam specifically like that. She did what she did best and that was to divert attention, “She should know I don’t like it when anyone comes after my boys.”

If Ruby noticed the change in direction, she didn’t comment on it. “Then you should be spending your time getting Sam ready for that. You and I both know that your plan to get the contract is limited. You miss your chance and that’s it.”

Angela picked up on that last part. It was a question to ask Crowley about next time they met. So far he was obsessed with the making and writing a contract. Perhaps she should start asking questions about when she planned the assault on Lilith. She knew that she was going up the queen badass of hell and that would require preparation just like her preparation for her other plan with Bobby. “You know that we both have very different ideas about ‘getting Sam ready’ and I prefer my methods of madness.”

“Right and see where that has gotten you.”

Angela turned towards Ruby and raised her brow. “You must’ve been asleep at the wheel Ruby. You know that Buddhist proverb that says when the student is ready, the master appears? The student was ready and I came and the result? A Champion was created and apparently there is some acknowledgement of a Slayer of demons.”

Ruby scoffed, “Dean kills one demon and that gives him that honor and who is the Champion?”

“Sam.” Angela crossed her arms in a self-satisfied manner. “As a demon you would be well aware that there is only one way that honor is conferred and I know that there are plenty of your kind that respect the old ways.” She turned to look back at the Morton House. “Ruby, Sam is learning as we travel.”

Ruby shook her head. Angela was really going to stay her course on all fronts. “Fine. Do what you have to. Just be prepared for the day that Dean’s number is up and yes I am walking away from this since I can’t watch you drive yourself into perdition.” She turned and walked away.

Angela didn’t acknowledge Ruby as she left. There was plenty to think of as she studied the Morton House. As she did she slipped back into a memory and thought about it as she thought about the plan of attack for the Morton House.

****

_… Ruby’s visit was rather enlightening and disconcerting at the same time. Of course the usual annoyance was there with her saying that Sam needs to be gotten ready. I know her definition of that and it hurt to hear Sam say it one. She meant that he was to be more like Dean and I don’t think I would be able to stand it if he were to turn into Dean._

_I am not so stupid to forget what we did to Jake Talley. I saw the look in Sam’s eyes then and of course I remember that time we were together with the whole Mystery Spot crap. I know what Sam is capable of and I think I must’ve known ever since we first hooked up. Everyone has the potential to be a killer. I think I understand Dean’s speech a little better when he said that he wanted to keep Sam’s innocence just a little while longer._

_I know people see Sam as a gentle giant and to be honest, that is what I love most about him. In a way it is like a beacon of hope in my eyes; that even a warrior is capable of compassion. He called me a star… If only he knew what I think. I don’t doubt Dean is capable of the same thing and he gives me a joy of having family, a brother and I know that he sees me as a sister willing to listen to him. He is learning that he doesn’t have to be ashamed of showing his feelings. Sam never has a problem with that but I don’t want to see him become so recluse even with me. I think that would break me and I would be as Dean felt and probably still feels… dead inside._

Angela looked at the articles again on the Morton House and the disappearances but she wasn’t really looking at them. Her thoughts were on the weight of reality that could threaten to collapse the fragile house of cards she was building. She absently reached for the cup of coffee that she ordered and took a sip, making a face at the face she had a little bit left and it was cold.

“Can I get you anything else love?”

Angela looked up for a moment thinking that it was Crowley. Of course that was ridiculous and she realized it was the waitress. She smiled politely and replied, “More coffee and do you have any pie?”

Terry had liked the woman the moment she walked into the diner talking on her phone. She was polite and she was very pretty. She had never met someone that pretty and she looked like she was getting ready for some sort of research trip and she looked like she had muscle. It was not surprising to hear a pretty voice accompanying it asking for a table and coffee.

Terry was more than happy to indulge the stranger. While she was serving the other customers, she was able to observe the woman who seemed very intent on studying her stack of papers. She could see that she must be a student making her smart. Terry was more impressed with brains than anything. When enough time passed for the woman to drink her cup of coffee, she walked over and asked if she needed anything else. She smiled at the response and replied, “Do we have pie? Love, this diner is known for its pies.”

Angela raised her brow at that. She had heard that spiel before. Most diners said they had the best of something in their kitchens. Hell one said they had the best coffee and it was nothing but oil sludge. Pie though was a different story. She had to see this for herself. “Alright. Bring me a slice of every kind.” She then turned back to her reading, shifting to her text for demon summoning.

Terry thought it a surprise that the stranger wanted that. That was like twenty slices of pie. Most women worried about the amount of calories and sugar in stuff like pie. This one didn’t seem too concerned. Still the customer always got what they wanted… most of the time. “Okay. I’ll have that up in a jiffy.”

“Thank you. Oh I have some friends coming to meet me. Just point them in this direction.”

“Of course, love.” Terry poured the fresh hot coffee and went back to the kitchen to prepare the pies.

Angela went back to reading the demon summoning ritual. While there was a common way of doing things, there were other ways that were more specific and it depended on who you were calling and if you had measures like devil’s traps prepared. The easiest way to get to Lilith was to summon her and into a devil’s trap. It saved time and energy in chasing after her; a lesson learned from chasing Azazel. Angela scanned the summoning ritual and concluded that Ruby may have been right about a time limit. However she wouldn’t be sure until she talked to Crowley.

The door to the diner tinkled open and Angela recognized the boys’ footsteps and moved to hide that part of her papers and pulled out something that would completely throw Dean for a spin along with the articles. She smiled as she was staring at the articles, “Nice of you two to drop in.”

“Hey we’ve been doing our research,” Dean countered as he took his place opposite Angela while Sam sat next to her.

“You mean you were flirting with the librarian while Sam did the heavy lifting,” Angela corrected. “You don’t fool me Dean.”

Dean accepted the cup of coffee the waitress poured him and gave her a flirtatious smile. He was surprised that she didn’t bite but rather gave him a look that said she would eat him alive if he thought about flirting with her. Most chicks couldn’t resist the Dean Winchester charm. He replied, “Alright you got me Angie but you and I both know that Sammy is better at it.”

“More like someone is lazy,” Angela replied taking a sip. “So were you able to find anything useful about it?”

Sam fished out the paper he had printed from the library. “Nothing much except for the articles, missing person’s reports. Your end?”

“Just been reading the same thing the last…” Angela checked her watch. She really had no clue when she got there. “… um, since I got here. I was over at the property and taking a look.”

“You okay Angie?”

“I’m fine nanny. I just lost track of time literally,” Angela replied giving a warning look at Dean since he asked the question and could see her expressions. She was saved from saying anything else by the arrival of the pie. At last there was some distraction from the fact that she had let herself become vulnerable in spacing out like that.

“Here you go love. Twenty pieces of pie,” Terry said throwing her best smile at Angela. It sent thrills down her spine when Angela returned the smile with one of her own and gave her thanks and commented on her thoughtfulness for a fork for each slice. “It was nothing. Call if you need anything else.” Terry topped off Angela’s mug of coffee and ignored the signal from Sam and Dean and walked off.

Dean watched the waitress walk off, glanced at his brother and then at Angela who pulled what looked like a key lime pie towards her and began to eat it. “Hey Angie, I think you scored.”

Angela took a bite of the key lime and twirled it in her mouth. The citrus blend was well mixed and she liked the tartness. She wasn’t going to spoil the taste with coffee at the moment. She looked at Dean though with a curious expression and replied, “What?”

Sam had seen the look the waitress gave Angela and for once thought it funny rather than annoying. He had seen plenty of guys try to flirt with her but to see a woman do it was something else. However he could see that she hadn’t been paying attention at all and knowing Dean, his brother was going to milk it for what it was worth. He shot a warning glance but he could see that he was going to be ignored.

Dean took the wheel of the bus and started driving, “Angie, did you see how that waitress was looking at you?”

“Dean what are you talking about? All she did was bring me coffee without having me to shout for it for once.” Angela turned her attention to her slice and offered some to Dean.

Dean wasn’t one to pass up on pie and took the half eaten piece from Angela while she started on another creamy confection. He dug in and continued, “Sis, she was totally checking you out. She thought you were hot.”

Angela paused a moment as Dean’s implication sunk in. Great, she had another female admirer… or maybe someone pretending to be an admirer and was going to try and jump her ass the next time she was alone in a dark alley. “Dude, I don’t swing that way,” she whispered.

“No shit really,” Dean replied in sarcasm. He was grinning as he was chewing on a piece of pie.

Sam started playing with a piece for the lack of anything better to do and took a tentative bite. It was a peach cobbler and wasn’t that bad. He muttered, “Dean, be nice.”

“Hey I’m not blind Sam. Angie here is a looker and I mean that in a good way.” He gave a smirk in Angela’s direction as he shoved another forkful in his mouth.

For his trouble, a plate full of chocolate cream pie came his way by sliding on the table but with a little more force than was intended. It slide off the table and landed with a splat right in the middle of Dean’s chest. Dean looked at Angela and said, “Geez I was giving you a compliment.”

Angela frowned as if Dean was talking crazy talk. “I didn’t do anything.” A slow smile started to form as she scrutinized Dean’s efforts to clean off the chocolate cream. “You should leave it on. Everyone loves a sweetie.”

“Bite me Angie,” Dean retorted as he managed to get most of it off and the plate back onto the table.

“If only you tasted good. Rather you look good in mousse especially chocolate,” Angela replied chuckling as she reached for another piece of pie. She smiled when Sam chuckled and turned to see him toy with the cobbler. “Don’t ruin a perfectly good piece of pie Sam.”

“I’m not,” Sam protested.

There was some more banter until Angela asked for a box for the uneaten pieces. Terry obliged and thanked her for the tip that was extra since Dean’s mishap with chocolate mousse. She watched as they left the diner. She really needed to control her temper.


	4. Chapter 4

_9:00pm_

_The Morton House… I actually feel a thrill down my spine at the prospect of going in. Actually that’s the ice cube that Dean decided to dump down the back of my shirt. He still thinks it’s my fault about the pie…_

_… I do feel apprehension at going in. Something about the place has me uneasy. I didn’t feel it before when Ruby Bitch was around and I was more caught up in that conversation. I don’t understand it but I get the strangest sensation of fear and it is getting stronger the closer we get. I am worried and I am scared…_

Angela checked the flashlights to make sure that they were charged in terms of batteries and handed one to Sam. Standard procedure was to drive around and scout the place and then there was the actual hiding the Impala so local law enforcement didn’t get any funny ideas. It was all part and parcel of the job.

She looked at Dean and could see that he was still a bit miffed about the pie thing even though she said that she didn’t do anything. She sighed as she went about loading the shotguns with the rounds, an activity she could do in her sleep. “Leaving a wound to fester makes it worse… not better.”

Dean huffed, “Right just as denial is just as good.”

“Forget I said anything,” Angela replied as she finished the last of the loading. _We’re An American Band_ was playing on the radio and it actually was soothing in her ears. She rolled down the window the same as Sam as they pulled up towards the Morton House.

Sam thought Dean was being a dick about the whole pie thing. Yeah Angela could be doing something and make another object without looking but she wasn’t like that. He had been watching her reaction when Dean made his comment about her looks and he noticed that she smiled. She liked the comment from his brother. He accepted the flashlight and looked at his brother with a look that said he was being completely unreasonable before lowering down his window.

Angela didn’t need a flashlight to see the house and the perimeter. Her eyes could do that so she leaned out her window and bent her body so that it looked like she was standing up inside the car. She held a hand up to her face like she was shielding her eyes and peered out. She followed Sam’s flashlight beam and then would scour areas that he may have missed. They continued this as Dean pulled up and around before driving off.

As Angela searched, she thought she caught some movement in the bushes near the gate. She narrowed her eyes trying to see in the dark. Something or someone was there and inwardly she groaned at the prospect of shooing away foolish kids. Vengeful spirits weren’t something you messed with and if you bound a spirit and made them go against their nature, then you were asking for trouble. More likely they were a bunch of kids who were playing their hands at being ghost detectives.

She wasn’t sure what to make of it. Hell it could even be a stray cat or dog that got startled by the light Sam was showing. Somehow though the rustling started a feeling of unease as she slipped back into the car and it continued when she felt a chill go up her spine. They had just gone by close to the gate and she had this strange feeling of fear. It was troublesome.

“Have fun out there?”

Angela looked up from the shotgun she had taken to holding on her lap and replied, “Huh?”

Dean knew he had been an ass about the pie thing. He knew that she wouldn’t start a food fight unless she actually did it herself. Besides, she would have slammed it in his face. He was hoping to get a chance to apologize after Sam gave him a bitch face that also said he was being a complete ass. So he decided on something that she would respond to. When he failed to get a satisfactory answer, he looked in the mirror and noticed the distracted air. This was becoming more frequent the closer they got to actually getting into the hunt. “Angie, you okay back there? You’ve been spacing out like there’s no tomorrow.”

Angela replied, “Um… just thinking. I guess I have too many thoughts up here.”

Sam resisted the urge to look back. He was concerned. He knew that she was capable of compartmentalizing whatever she was working on and could bury it and bring it back when necessary. He recalled having the concern that she might burn herself out that way. Was this a sign of that?

Dean was unaware of Sam’s internal monologue and was saying, “Thoughts about what?”

“Lots of things; some that aren’t even relevant but wayward thoughts,” Angela replied while desperately searching for something that would prevent Dean from grilling her. Part of that feeling seemed to be mingled with her thoughts on upcoming conversations with certain characters that she would rather puke than have a conversation with. She had to think fast and think of something totally ridiculous. She finally said, “Puppies.”

Dean frowned as he brought the car around, “What?”

“Puppies… well what kind of dogs I would get if Cerebus decided on you know,” Angela offered.

“That is just plain… I don’t know,” Dean replied. He could sense deflection in that ridiculous statement. “You were thinking about pedigrees and dog breeding with the hell mutt? That’s too ridiculous even for you.”

Angela sighed softly. That was a bad one but how could she explain what she felt when they passed the house? It wasn’t a vision but somehow she got the feeling that something bad was going to happen. She recited, “All is well, tho’ faith and form Be sunder’d in the night of fear.”

Dean had no clue and almost rolled his eyes at the prospect of another exchange of quotes between Sasquatch and his girl. Sam though frowned and replied, “Tennyson?”

“Just a feeling.”

****

_10:40pm_

_… Despite the feeling of fear, we entered Morton House and I actually had a grip on it. However that is pretty impressive considering that the fear was like a thick blanket that was trying to dog my steps. It made me wonder how much of it was fear from whatever spirit was here and how much of it were my own buried fears. At that point it seemed that it was just what I was picking up from the spirit…_

Angela peered around a corner holding her shotgun and shouldering the duffle. She volunteered for that job since it seemed the least she could do and she could hang back a little in order to avoid the possible questions that must be brewing mainly on the tip of Sam’s tongue. At least they were distracted by the fact that the gate had been broken into. The lock had been cut and it had confirmed what she had suspected; that some stupid kids were snooping around.

Dean nearly swore at that. “Just what we need: a bunch of kids being stupid.”

Sam tried to be reasonable, “We’ll just use our usual cover; say that we’re cops or something. That will get them out.”

That was fine and dandy in Angela’s book and she checked to make sure that her Beretta was tucked under her jacket. As a strange sort of afterthought, she had put her chakram on her belt. She had decided against taking Absolution with her since that would probably really be out of place and this was supposed to be a spirit hunt. She was aware that it was more out of comfort than having an extra weapon on hand that prompted her to bring it.

With a plan decided, they walked into the house. Immediately Angela could feel a sense of fear and… something else. It was disturbing and she didn’t like it one bit. She had never had this kind of experience before on a spirit hunt and she wondered if she was going stark crazy. Dean had joked once that she could sniff out the supernatural but she relied more on that tingly feeling like Dean’s spidey sense.

Angela looked through the empty rooms following the boys and feeling like she was hiding behind them. It made her feel weak and she disliked it. She began tapping the shotgun in that nervous twitch she hadn’t experienced in years.

“Angie can you quit that?” Dean turned to look back at Angela once he figured out that the tapping was coming from behind them. He studied her as she tapped the stock of the gun and her eyes looked around. This was unusual behavior for her.

Angela looked up and said, “Sorry. Old nervous habit.” She willed her finger to stop. The silence became deafening and the chill stroked her spine.

Dean walked up to her, ignoring Sam, “You sure you’re okay?”

“I…” Angela looked past Dean at something she thought she saw.

“Angie?”

Angela could make out a reaper standing there looking like a rich man in a cheap suit or something like the agents from the Matrix, minus the glasses. Okay so a reaper was here and it was pointing at her? It mouthed something at her before Dean got into her line of sight and snapped his fingers in front of her, “Hey don’t make me poke you with a stick.”

“Sorry Dean,” Angela replied. “I thought I saw something but I wasn’t sure.” She glanced back to make sure she wasn’t seeing things. The reaper was gone so maybe it was a product of her imagination coupled with the strong emotions the spirit was feeling.

Dean didn’t completely buy it but he was willing to accept that for now. She could hear and smell things that normal humans couldn’t so that was plausible. “Okay. Can you focus though? We need to get those kids out before this thing gets ugly.”

Angela shook off the uneasiness and nodded after becoming grim. “Let’s go then. I came to enjoy this hunt and I aim to do so.” She held her shotgun ready to pull up at a moment’s notice.

Sam waited until Dean had turned around to lead the way to ask, “Tennyson?” He hadn’t forgotten that she said it was a feeling she got.

Angela didn’t want to get into that discussion but glancing at the concerned look in Sam’s eyes; the gentle… She blinked almost owlishly and replied, “Yeah Tennyson. A feeling though and I am not sure.”

“Something bothering you?” Sam asked the question since it was the first and logical one. With the crap they went through lately, it wouldn’t surprise him that something was bothering her.

Angela looked around before pausing. She heard voices and they were dead straight ahead. They were real voices since they both sounded out of breath like someone had scared them or they ran a marathon. She replied as she signaled to the boys, “Not me but I get the feeling that there are some powerful emotions trapped in this house.”

“You know you’re talking psychic babble right?” Dean replied in a whisper as he acknowledged the hand signals from Angela. He knew she heard something and from the intense expression on her face she was discerning where it was coming from.

“Maybe,” Angela signaled that she heard other voices but were much fainter, indicating that it was a group that had separated. “But I can feel it. I don’t know why but it’s there. It might have something to do with…”

Dean nodded and looked at Sam who seemed mollified from his line of questioning. To him it explained why she was spacing out so much. She was focused on what it was. Maybe it did sound like psychic babble but Angela never played around with stuff like that. If she said it, then she was telling the truth. He himself had to wonder at this since on the other salt and burns they did, it didn’t happen then. Maybe it was something about this house. A small nagging suspicion at the back of his mind suggested that he ask about her abilities.

They came up to the area where the voices were loudest and Angela gave the nod to Dean. She held the shotgun and followed through when Dean shouted, “Freeze, police officers.” In combination with the way they held the lights, it was pretty effective. She held up her shotgun pointed at two young men and the sight had her wanting to frown.

Both of them were wearing those headband headlight thingies that Angela thought were best suited for staying on hard hats rather than heads. One of them was dressed in fatigues and had what she could only surmise as camera equipment; the kind that could be worn on the head in a bulky contraption. She couldn’t help but raise her brows in a surprised yet controlled manner. What in the name of all that is not of the supernatural was this about?

Sam entered the room with Dean next to him saying, “Ok. Take it easy. Let’s see identification.”

Dean added his bit, “Come on. Let’s see some ID.”

Since Angela was hanging back, she didn’t say anything but entered the room. She heard one of the kids say in a scared voice, “Why are we…? Are we under arrest?”

The other was saying in a calm voice, “We are unarmed.”

Angela was unaware that the one with the strange headgear was looking at her and what he was seeing was something that should have had him screaming. Instead he was in a panicked tone more along the lines of being arrested. “Oh God. Oh God.”

****

_11:00pm_

_… Fear increased the moment we entered the room. The two kids Ed and Corbett were scared and it seemed to increase what was already there. I know Sam and Dean think I am crazy at this point but there is a strong, I don’t know… an empathy surge or something. Do spirits feed on fear? Such a thing sounds crazy but too many things are going on around here and it is starting to feel peculiar; like I have read about it or seen it somewhere before._

_I know my fear is what those kids would see if they look at me. My agitation could send me vamping out and they might catch it on camera. It is definitely Tennyson as I spoke to Sam about earlier…_

Angela was perfectly comfortable to let Sam and Dean do the interrogating. She saw that the camera getup the kid named Corbett was wearing and she didn’t want to risk being seen. She knew that certain supernatural creatures could be distinguished from humans by video camera. Shapeshifters were one such creature with the retina flare of the eyes. What she was concerned about were her eyes vamping out and it being caught. She didn’t need nuts being created and hunting vampires or other supernatural creatures and getting themselves killed.

“Whoa I know you,” the one with the glasses was saying.

Angela looked up and saw the slight hesitation in Sam and Dean’s posture. Dean though was quick in covering and gave a flickering blink and continued their cover, “Yeah sure you do. Give me some identification.”

The one with the glasses persisted, “Hold on a second. I know the both of you guys. Yeah, but not the chick there. Yeah I know you.”

Angela’s first reaction was to point the shotgun at them. She narrowed her eyes as her protective mode came on. She hadn’t forgotten Gordon Walker and that was before he was turned into a vamp. Humans were just as dangerous to her boys as the creatures and things they hunted. She didn’t flinch even though the kid called Corbett flinched and whimpered. She asked, “Yeah and you know what kinds of people say that to us?”

“Hey call off the Cujo chick,” the kid with glasses said.

It was Sam who betrayed recognition. “Holy shit.” He quickly put a hand up to push the barrel of Angela’s shotgun down.

Dean was still looking confused but rather amused that Angela was pointing her shotgun at the kids. It was a nice scare tactic. He was trying to put together how the one guy knew him and Sam but not Angela. It had to be before they hooked up. He looked to Sam for confirmation, “What?”

“Uh, west Texas, the tulpa we had to take out.”

Angela paused and looked at Sam and then Dean. “You two went after a tulpa? Did you spend too many hours listening to mullet rock?” It had to be one of those times that she had been on another case.

Sam looked at Angela. Apparently she knew about tulpas too. “Now is not the time Angie,” he whispered. He looked at Dean who was trying to recall that case. He added for good measure, “Those two goofballs that almost got us killed. Uh Hellhounds or something?”

Dean looked at Sam and then held up his flashlight. He pointed it right at the guy with the glasses and got a good luck. He couldn’t believe it. It wasn’t that guy. He couldn’t help it and said, “Fuck me.”

Angela had her barrel lowered but it was still pointed at them. She could feel Corbett’s fear and whoever this guy with the glasses had it too. The blanket was getting thicker but her focus was on a potential threat. “So you know one of them. Is he a threat?”

The guy with the glasses held up his hands, “Hey easy Robochick. Look we’re not Hellhounds anymore.”

Angela couldn’t help but mutter, “Good because you have yet to see a real one.”

Corbett was still scared, “Ed, what’s going on?”

Ed replied, “Their not cops. No. I can’t speak for their chick friend there.”

Angela lowered her gun as she listened. She knew they weren’t a threat; it was her protective instincts out of whack. She was beginning to come to the conclusion that the emotions swirling around that weren’t emanating from humans were related to the spirit and it seemed that her empath that had been tethered to her telepathic ability was rearing its head. Fine timing for that.

She settled back a little to survey the conversation that was going on. Since Sam and Dean knew one of them, she could better hide behind it and avoid the camera for the moment. She replied to Ed, “I’d be careful how you give names to people. You never know if they might take it the wrong way.” She lowered the shotgun completely to show that she wasn’t a threat.

She turned her attention to Corbett. He looked to be a nice guy and he just had a nice scare. He reminded her of another amateur she had come across maybe in the 70s. He was eager to learn and even apprenticed himself to an old timer hunter but the kid scared easier. Hell he nearly peed in his pants the moment she bared her fangs in a fight. He did all right though in the end saving that old timer from a chupracaba. Looking at this kid, he seemed to be made of the same stock.

“Ed, thought you had a partner didn’t you? A different guy?”

Angela turned her attention towards Dean questioning Ed. She didn’t really pay attention to the conversation but rather began to tune out everything. She really didn’t know if she should be leaving herself vulnerable like that but she might as well turn on the ‘sniffer’ so to speak. She couldn’t figure out the emotions thing so she had to keep it in mind but not at the forefront. Suddenly a memory came to her and a fairly recent one.

_The shaman was a gracious host in seeing them even though they were delayed and it was during his yearly communing with the spirits. He told the three of them that he would have to cleanse the area and see their souls. It was spoken in his language and she had to translate._

_It was politeness on the shaman’s part that he let her in his tent. There were still cultures that didn’t view women in the same light unless it was deemed so by action or other circumstances. He proceeded with his ritual. When he came to her, she fainted. She had already been running a slight fever from her werewolf bite and the power of herbs became too much._

_When she came to the shaman spoke to her alone. He said, “Connected to the spirits your soul is. You can sense them and commune them. It is a sign of your power.” He gave her a medicine bag and indicated that she was to keep it on her at all times…_

Angela put her hand in her jacket pocket. It was in there. She could feel it by touch. She got it that healers tapped into the spirit realm. It was like a battery to charge their healing ability. Maybe it was possible to sense out the spirit here in the Morton House. She rubbed the medicine bag and tried a mediation technique she used when she was awake and on the go.

It was strange. She picked up multiple entities. It was like that sixth sense thing that people talked about. She felt it. It was little help though but it did clear up the thick blanket that was a constant pressure on her being. Fear was a powerful emotion and it was tied to the spirit who haunted this place. There was another one but she wasn’t sure. Emotions were powerful even if they didn’t register strongly and were not the kind of thing to register on an EMP.

She was interrupted when she heard the thump and saw that Dean had pressed Ed to the wall of the room. He meant business as he looked at Ed and asked, “Ed?”

“Yeah.”

“Where’s your partner?”

Angela ignored the interrogation as she looked around. She found that Corbett was looking at her, “What?” She frowned at him both in puzzlement and the fact that the white light was right on her and getting in her eyes.

“N—nothing. It’s just… You’re really pretty,” Corbett replied. “You don’t look like the type to be doing this.”

Angela raised her brow. She had to be understanding here and she gauged Sam’s approach. It seemed that his attention was focused on Dean’s interrogation. So she didn’t have to worry about him going watchdog and defending her honor. She could see that he was still shaken up. Inwardly she sighed. She could do this like she did to Barcalow. She raised her free hand and motioned while saying, “Hey it’s okay. Sorry we scared you but we were concerned.” Her voice was calm and soothing.

Sam happened to hear Angela talking and turned to look to see her with her hand outstretched and she was talking to Corbett. He frowned a little to focus on what she was saying and observe her. He realized that she was calming the kid down. He had to admit she was pretty good at this and could understand why she was reluctant to use it. The kid was like dough in her hands.

It worked though until Sam saw the slight flicker in her eyes and then her body jerked. She began looking wildly around as if trying to hear something. Corbett was ignoring the whole thing but Sam grew concerned as she looked around. It was enough to distract Dean from questioning Ed and all eyes were on her until she wheeled around and got a blinding glare from Corbett’s headlight. Sam saw her eyes flicker in response but she shut them quick and placed her wrists over her eyes. She swore under her breath. All she said was in a very low whisper, “One appeared.”


	5. Chapter 5

Sam and Dean knew well enough that if Ed and his goof ball partner got any footage of Angela vamping out or doing her mojo, it would spell trouble for her mostly and awkwardness for all of them. The screaming and running out of the house would be a bonus for them. Right now she was their immediate concern and Sam was the first to react.

Even with a flashlight, he gripped her upper arms and looked at her. “Hey, you okay?” He used his body to block her from the camera.

“No Sam. I’m not,” Angela muttered still pressing her wrists to her eyes. It had been a mistake to turn into the light like that. It took her by surprise and blinded her. Right now she was seeing spots as she waited to let them adjust. “Mojo issue besides eyes.”

Sam understood what she meant. He glanced back at Dean and said, “It’s okay. She just looked at the light wrong.” He made a slight look at Dean who nodded in understanding. Sam put an arm around her shoulders and asked, “How are the eyes?”

“Give me a moment,” Angela chuckled dryly. “I’d forgotten what a sudden flare of light can do to me. Stupid.”

Meanwhile Dean grabbed Ed and said, “Alright Ed. Where’s your partner?”

Ed looked at the girl Sam was holding. He had seen something but he wasn’t sure what. It had to do with her eyes. It was brief and then it was gone. He looked at Dean who looked ready to deck him across the mouth. “Alright, he’s around. Let’s go back to the Eagle’s Nest.”

Dean looked at Ed that clearly said he wasn’t in the mood to be messed with. He looked at Sam and motioned that they were to follow. “Alright so get to leading.”

Angela was blinking to clear the spots while trying to walk down the hall. She was grateful for Sam’s hand gripping her elbow. At least that kept her from running into walls. She pinched the bridge of her nose and whispered, “I think there is more than one but it’s not vengeful. I can’t say how or why but…”

“Angie, just focus on your eyes,” Sam interrupted softly. He had to admit that she was dedicated once she was on a job. Even while trying to refocus her sight from that sudden blinding, she was trying to help him and Dean out. Gripping her elbow gently he added, “I don’t think you should be going into your you know…”

“I know but I get the feeling that it’s important. I’ll not say anything though. Can’t freak out the civilians.”

Sam couldn’t help but smile at that. It was one of the things he admired about her. She always thought about others first before herself. It’s what made her a good person even if she didn’t believe that part completely.

They followed Dean and Ed to the main room. Dean was saying, “What are you doing at the Morton House? On leap year? What are you thinking?”

Finally Angela got her eyes focused and moved to stay out of the main light while focusing on the problem at hand. Sam was aware that she had picked up something and that meant Dean must be aware of it too. It didn’t make her feel less anxious about the fact that she felt surrounded by cameras since she managed to locate the stationary one in the room. She really was going to have to be careful about this. She gave the bridge of her nose a final pinch and said, “I think he took a long walk off a short pier.”

Ed glanced at the girl that Sam had been hovering by. He replied, “We’re here to spend the night, okay? It’s for our TV show.”

Angela replied, “You’re kidding right?”

“No I’m not Miss I Blinded Myself,” Ed replied. His tone was almost taunting.

“Perfect,” Sam interjected. He rolled his eyes slightly at this ridiculous situation they were in.

Angela put a hand to her forehead. This was just perfect. The amateur ghost hunters had no idea of the dangers they faced… Well they sort of did if they knew anything about the Morton House. Rather they added a dose of stupid to the mix. No wonder Sam called Ed and his partner goof balls. “I can see why you call them goofballs, Sam.”

“Hey, we know what we’re doing and we were here first,” Ed countered. He looked ready to verbally spar with Angela.

Corbett decided to speak, “Nobody’s ever spent the night here before.”

“None that we ever heard of,” Ed added.

Angela raised her brow at the pair of them. It clearly gave the opinion that they were an insane bunch. “Amateurs. Yeah people have. They weren’t the ones that lived to talk about it.” She turned around to look around the room. She started touching the walls barely with her fingertips while avoiding use of her flashlight.

Dean had to hand to Angela. He had always liked the fact that she had a biting tongue when she expressed her displeasure with a situation. At least she forgot about the tulpa thing for the moment. He recognized the scolding tone and apparently she thought they were idiots for dealing with it. Something told him that she may have come across one before. He watched as she searched the room with that touchy feely thing she did. He said, “Any Poe going on?”

Angela glanced at Dean. She knew he was asking if she could detect anything. She could feel something going on but nothing like that spike. “Nevermore,” she replied.

****

_11:30pm_

_…I feel a fool. I’m jittery on the inside but I maintain a calm that is unnerving even to me. I have heard of hot spots which is a requirement for what me and Bobby are planning but… Of course there are locations of such places of spiritual power. Most obvious and still tourist attraction is Stonehenge. If that is the case, I need to be really careful. My initial mistake could cost me…_

It was not hard to focus on senses that didn’t need to tap into more supernatural abilities. Hell it felt normal even though Angela felt ready to dry heave because of the dust and musty smell. She could also smell death… not the grim reaper death but she could smell quite a few dead things and that itself was a distinctive odor.

Wandering into another room, she came across old furniture and saw a dead rat. There was her death smell and judging by the condition of the corpse, not dead for very long. She kneeled by the rat and just stared at the room. She could almost picture how it looked before it was in the state that it was now. She looked at the floor and was tempted to touch it now that she was thinking about it.

Her visions were of the weird variety. They were not consistent like Sam’s had been under Azazel’s influence which were painful and other seers aka psychics usually had dreams or a temporary spirit connection like shamans. She did have one painful one in Milagro and that was it. Most of the time she would touch something and she was put there and she could walk through it. Even then it could be months and in one case, years before she had one. They usually were coupled with a beckoning call of a sort. However, if her suspicions were correct and if this was a hot spot, then something would pop up.

Angela hesitated though, content on ignoring the arguments going back and forth between Dean and Ed about the stupidity of staying in the Morton House, and thought about it some more. She pulled out her leather bound book and opened it to where she had stopped writing and picked up the pencil that had been tucked in there. She didn’t know why but before leaving the motel, she packed the journal in her jacket pocket and brought it along. Studying the room, she began writing.

_… Amateurs plague the scene out of some misguided need for adventure and a venture for profit. Minor annoyance at best._

_The Morton House is full of energy but too low to register on an EMP unless a spirit shows. To use an oxymoron, this place is a hot spot. Greatly contributes to unease and increases susceptibility of personal abilities. Dangerous to air around the amateurs but it can’t be avoided. Perhaps what is seen can help identify the spirit…_

“Um what are you doing?”

Angela looked up and saw Corbett was watching her. She closed her journal and tucked it back into her jacket pocket. “Just making observations. I have a knack for imagining how things looked before the chaos.”

Corbett gave a timid smile, “Cool.” He had wanted to thank her for talking him down when he was scared. She may be annoyed with him and the Ghostfacers being there but she wasn’t mean about it.

Angela looked around for some sign for help but saw that it wasn’t available. Her eyes roved about the main area. She hadn’t wandered far but she wanted to avoid cameras whenever she could and she knew the boys would understand that. Sighing a little she asked, “Why aren’t you um hanging around over there?” She pointed in the general direction.

“I saw you go off and thought…” Corbett didn’t recognize that she was trying to avoid a conversation and trying to send him away. He remained and made a slight motion.

 _Great I have an amateur following me._ Angela bit her lower lip before replying, “Yeah the lights I really kind of want to avoid them at the moment. Still adjusting.” She smiled in reassurance.

“Oh sorry. I can put you on night vision.” Corbett gave a timid smile that could get annoying fast as his hand moved towards the button.

That was worse. If she vamped out by accident, it would show up really freaky. “I really don’t want to be on camera at the moment. No offense but I have this thing about people watching everything I do when I’m down to business. Got it?” She raised her brow to see if he understood.

Corbett nodded, “Oh. You’re one of those types. All into their work and all. I’ll go,” and walked off leaving Angela relieved at the moment. She didn’t mean to sound harsh and she hoped that she hadn’t hurt the kid’s feelings but this wasn’t stuff you played around with if you weren’t ready for it. She turned back towards the room and with a tentative hand she slowly reached out and touched the floor.

The reaction was instant and it surprised her too. Normally she would be completely immersed in the vision meaning that it was just her and the thing that was involved with the touching. This time though… Angela stood up and looked around. She could see Sam and Dean with the two kids but the house looked different. It wasn’t that dark and old beat up place but it looked like how it did with an owner who took care of it. That was creepy somewhat.

She made a slight motion with her head as she started to walk around. It was still dark in the place but she could see where everything was. How this was going to help, she had no idea. She walked back towards the main group and raised her brow at the conversation going back and forth between Dean and Ed. It was really weird looking at it as she was seeing it.

She wandered back in after giving a reassuring glance to Sam who was looking at her before pulling out the list of the missing person’s. “John Graham stayed on a dare: Gone. Julie Wilkerson: Gone. There are tons more.”

Angela was well aware of that list. She had viewed it before they set out for the place. The list went back for half a century. It was impressive if you looked at it comparatively in similar circumstances. It usually was the same story: the person goes in an attempt to find out what really happened and figure it out or go after the greatest find and in the end none of them were ever seen again. Inwardly she wanted to laugh at that. When Sam showed her the list and started rattling off things and when she rattled off and said they were never seen again because it was always the same story, both brothers looked at her like she was nuts. That was when she explained that she had heard a story about a treasure hunt that ended up making the daring adventurers disappear, it turned out that it was a spirit protecting the place.

It was a true story. The Centurion had sent members there to put the spirit to rest before more innocents were stupid enough to go after it. None of them were ever seen again. That was always the story as she said when she affirmed the story was true. Now they were in a similar situation except now that they had to rescue or prevent a bunch of amateurs from getting themselves killed.

Angela was looking around and while Sam was talking she spoke at the same time as he did, “The only body they ever found was the last owner, Freeman Daggett.” Angela was looking around some more surprised that the ‘vision’ hadn’t faded. She was still seeing the house as it did in its heyday.

“These look legit,” Ed said as he looked through them ignoring for now the fact that the girl and Sam talked at the same time.

Sam replied, “They are legit.” He was not bothered by Angela’s addition. It meant that she was paying attention somewhat while keeping an eye out though he was certain that she was not really seeing what was there. “Look Ed, we ain’t got much time here. Starting at midnight, your friends are going to die.”

“Got that right,” Angela muttered.

Before anyone could say anything else, three bodies came running in. Angela’s first reaction was to drop into a defensive position. She pulled out her knife and held it in reverse with the sharp edge pointing out. It was a natural reaction as well as holding out her free hand ready to block, strike or grab whatever it was.

“Oh, my God! Oh, my God! Oh, my God!”

Dean noticed Angela and walked over towards her. He knew that she wasn’t going to tackle him if so much as tapped her shoulder. He put a hand on her knife are and lowered it and gave a slight shake of his head.

Angela gave a nod in return and with a deft move, she flipped her knife right side up and slipped it into the holster that was on her belt. She straightened her frame to look casual. She looked over at the new people that entered.

They were shouting about something. One wearing that ridiculous headlamp was talking to Corbett saying, “Corbett! We saw it. A full apparition. It was a Class 4, a spectral illumination.”

Angela raised her brow at the terms. She knew that she was guilty of going all geek to annoy Dean and tease him. She and Sam did it all the time with their quotes. This was more like meeting Star Trek in the flesh and that wasn’t even real. Not even the Centurion talked like that when dealing with spirits. She didn’t know if it was total bullshit or one of those numb nuts that dabbled in seeking out spirits came up with this crap. She looked at Dean and then Sam and could tell that besides the annoyance they were just as confused. She shrugged her shoulders as she turned back.

It had grown quiet all of a sudden and Angela saw the one who had been talking the techno babble was looking at them. Well he was looking more at Sam and Dean. It dawned on her that this must be Ed’s partner. It was confirmed when he said, “Hey aren’t those the assholes from Texas?”

Ed at this point was glad to push Sam and Dean under the bus and replied, “Yes.”

“And who is she?”

Angela was aware that she was getting thrown under the bus too. Well that was the benefit of being associated with the Winchester boys. As if she would have it any other way. She looked at the guy and replied, “I can think of several ways to answer that and not all of them are pleasant ones.” She gave a grin that said she wasn’t to be messed with.

“Some chick they picked up,” Ed replied. “Probably for her looks.”

Angela was quick to grasp Sam’s jacket sleeve to stop him from doing anything. She replied, “You know you should be careful of what you say to people. You never know when something will happen and that’s a fact.”

“Alright, alright,” Dean interrupted recognizing that this was holding up the fact that they needed to get Ed and his crew out of there. “Let’s have this reunion across the street. Come on.”

“What are you doing here?”

“We’ll get you ice cream. Our treat. What do you say? Let’s go.” Dean tried not to lose his temper when he was blown off for his troubles as the newcomers headed to the computer equipment. He was more surprised when Angela edged closer after giving Sam’s wrist a gentle pat.

Ed, after hearing what the Winchesters had to say and now nervous at being around Angela said, “Guys, I think you should listen…”

The girl of the amateur group spoke up, “Look at this. The honest-to-God proof, all right?” She pointed at the laptop playing the whole thing.

Angela put her right forefinger up to her mouth and rubbed it across her lips as she studied the footage. She knew that Sam and Dean were watching. She focused on the footage though and the spirit that appeared. She noted the timestamp on the footage. It was roughly the same time she felt that spike occur and she ended up blinding herself.

The pieces started fitting together while she was trying to ignore the fact that the house didn’t revert back to what she saw before she touched the ground. This was the longest she had been stuck in a vision, if it was one, and it was starting to make her think that she might be hallucinating. That wasn’t good either especially if she was right in that this house was a hot spot and it was a created one.

As Angela watched the spirit get blown away, she gave a slight nod and began walking away as quietly as possible. The amateurs caught a death echo; a spirit that kept reliving its own death and were virtually harmless. She hadn’t missed the look of fear as the spirit was blown away. She had felt fear upon entering the house and it multiplied when the death echo made its appearance. It certainly implied something.

From what Angela could recall from her research, hot spots were places of tremendous supernatural energy. They could be used as like little energy stations to do all sorts of things, channel it to work spells, open gates and even summon things that would normally require a certain thing like a certain phase of the moon. There were two types: natural and created.

Natural ones were like a natural resource like an oil deposit or something. Eventually they wore out or they somehow managed to keep channeling and harnessing energy. There were some stories about Keepers who maintained these sites. Some sites were hundreds of thousands of years old like Stonehenge. Most dating techniques dated it back to the time of druids. Hell there were sites that didn’t even exist anymore and people thought they were myths.

Created hot spots were different. True they could harness energies like natural ones but these could be created for specific uses and then were burnt out. How they were created depended on the situation. It seemed though in this case, strong emotions contributed to it. It was weird because it had to take a powerful emotion and she could name the more common ones. Fear was rather unique and for this case… She didn’t know what to make of it.

The death echo itself was unusual since there were no reports of someone getting shot in the house. That meant that something belonging to the victim was in the house but that was highly unlikely. So the appearance of the echo shouldn’t have occurred since spirits are tied to objects that were personal to them.

Angela was so deep in thought that she didn’t realize she had wandered away from the group. It was habit for her to walk and think about new pieces of information. It was a bad idea to do in a house that was going to go killer on them in a short time. Certainly the boys would be on her case but she wasn’t thinking about it at that time. Suddenly she bumped into something. She looked up and said, “Corbett?”

Corbett had decided to go off to try and find the spirits and see one for himself. He had felt jazzed and little jealous that he had missed the first one. So he decided to see if he could make one appear and catch it on film. He decided that the best place was to go upstairs since that was where the first one was spotted.

He made it up there and started speaking out, “I wish to communicate with the restless spirits here.”

He jumped when something bumped into him. He whirled around and was stunned when his light was blocked by a hand and a voice calling his name. He blinked when he realized who it was and smiled, “Oh it’s you.”

Angela tweaked the light so it wouldn’t get in her eyes. The fact that she was now being viewed on camera was not the point at the moment. Right now she needed to find out why Corbett was wandering alone and she was one to talk since she was wandering alone and all she had was her knife and chakram. She left the shotgun with the bag and that was with the boys. She asked, “Corbett, what are you doing up here alone?”

“I was attempting to communicate with the restless spirits here,” Corbett replied.

Angela controlled her voice and replied, “Corbett what they saw was a death echo. It’s a spirit that’s caught in a loop; they keep playing over and over how they died and are harmless. It’s about as scary as a scary movie. That’s not what you have to worry about.” She looked around the house. It hadn’t changed back but that creeping feeling was coming.

“So there is another one here? Cool,” Corbett replied getting excited. He started walking down the hall calling out to any spirits listening.

Angela rolled her eyes and took off after Corbett. “Corbett, wait. You have to get out of here.” She caught up with him as he entered a room. “Corbett.”

Corbett was too excited. Suddenly his light flickered and it went out. “Oh. Lights out. I think I got night vision here.” He fiddled with his equipment to turn it on.

Angela recognized it as a first sign that something was coming. She felt the temperature drop significantly. “Corbett, we need to get out of here now.”

Corbett wasn’t listening though as he readjusted the night vision. What he didn’t see was the fact that there was someone standing behind him. He was more concerned on setting the equipment up to capture everything. He turned it on Angela and noticed that her eyes didn’t quite look right under the night vision. It was a flicker though and it was gone. “Whoa. Cool.”

Angela had been looking around when she turned and right behind Corbett she spotted what she knew to be a spirit. “Corbett, get out of there.”

It was too late for the spirit put his hand on Corbett. The kid let out a scream. Angela’s first reaction was to save him. She went for the spirit and did the most obvious to her. She threw a punch which was probably the most stupidest thing she had ever done.

It sort of worked since the spirit turned on her. For her troubles though, after giving a sort of war yell that was sure to be heard, she swung and was blocked. The spirit grabbed her wrist and looked at her in the eye before shoving her hard into the broken furniture in the room. She hit the dirt aware that she caught the edge of probably a coffee table. She rolled and saw the spirit disappear with Corbett. She tried to get up but suddenly broken furniture fell on top of her and she heard Corbett’s screams in her ears.


	6. Chapter 6

“Fuck you!” Sam couldn’t help but shout at Ed and Harry and their group as they went to go help their friend Corbett.

They couldn’t let them get themselves killed though and took off after them to get them back together. They figured that the best thing was to keep everyone together. It would make it harder for the spirit to pick them off. It was then that Sam noticed another person was missing and he heard the unmistakable cry. He looked at Dean and Dean said, “Angie.”

They followed rapidly and they heard the sound of furniture splintering and crashing. Dean grunted in frustration, “Dammit Angie did you have to take it on in a fight?”

“She was helping Corbett,” Sam muttered as they looked around.

Corbett’s screams were continuing until right at midnight, they stopped. By then everyone except Angela was in the room that had the stationary camera. Sam had been checking another room looking for the two missing people and came back saying Corbett was not there.

It was a split second decision made between Sam and Dean to get the others out. They could come back for Angela even though it pained them to do it. They knew that she would insist on getting the Ghostfacers out of the house before helping her. They started trying to usher them out and pushing them towards the exit. It certainly didn’t help that they were shouting protests and calling out to Corbett.

Out of all of them, Sam and Dean were the most calm of the group as they made their way down the hall. It was when a noise and the sound of moving furniture came from one of the rooms that the others got excited and started calling Corbett’s name, thinking it was him. For the Winchesters, they operated under the assumption that it might be the spirit messing with them and took off after the group.

They entered the room and found a pile of broken furniture moving and shifting. From underneath was the sound of grunting and a hand slowly emerged from the pile. “A little help, please.”

Sam and Dean were the first to react. They started moving the heavy furniture and rotten wood off. They managed to get her head uncovered and found that her legs were held fast under a cabinet. She looked around and made a slight sound that was rather unladylike but it fit the situation and Dean couldn’t help but say, “Come on, it’s just a little cabinet Angie.” He then whispered in her ear, “You can lift me and Sam without breaking a sweat.”

“Bite me Dean,” Angela replied good naturedly. She propped herself up on her elbows since she was on her stomach trying to ignore the dispelling fact that she was near helpless like she was in Darby and it wasn’t sitting well with her.

Sam got a grip on the cabinet that was pining her legs and began to lift, “Alright, Dean pull her out.” He managed to raise it just enough.

Dean got a grip on her wrist, not noticing the slight wince she gave and pulled her out. He held on as she got to her feet and slowly bent to dust herself off. “You okay?”

It was then that Harry and Ed questioned her, “Where’s Corbett? Did you see him?”

Angela continued to slowly dust herself off. Her legs were sore and it brought up bad memories of Darby. It didn’t help that she had that chill lingering from the spirit along with the empath stuff going on, not to mention the fact that she had a nice chat before they found her…

****

_February 29, 2008; 12:01am_

_It got Corbett. The spirit, which I am not entirely certain who it was, made its appearance and ambushed me and Corbett. I was foolish in walking away while thinking about what had happened. First a death echo and then the real deal… definitely in my little family’s house of weird…_

_I blame myself for not getting Corbett out. I went with first reaction and swung a fist; like that would do anything. My best bet would have been to use the chakram. The Sikhs would be jealous of the makeup of it._

_Why the spirit took only one of us, I can’t say. I do know that it looked at me before tossing me aside. I had to watch as it took Corbett and drag him away before the cave in…_

Angela was not prone to panicking when alone in the dark. She was one who operated in the dark. She had been trained not to panic if she was in a position like being buried alive. The thing was when the situation was beyond control, it took a lot to keep that calm, especially when it seemed that the situation was a disturbing reminder of life and death.

Being buried under the rotting wood was a cross between buried in a collapsed tunnel and Darby. It took a lot for her not to panic while being under that pile but that was moot since initially she lost consciousness from a bump to the head.

_Angela opened her eyes to see that she was standing in the Morton House but it was daylight instead of night. It was rather morbid in her opinion since she was supposed to be going after the spirit that haunted it. She wondered if she was dead._

_“No not dead. Just unconscious.”_

_Angela turned to see the reaper she had seen earlier. She raised a brow and replied, “Well that’s a relief. I’ve been dead or near dead enough times this year and I’m surprised that one of hasn’t shown up at all those times.”_

_The reaper looked at her with a stoic look. “So it is true.”_

_“Oh another fan of my sarcasm. Do you want an autograph?” Angela looked at herself and felt relieved that she was in her usual gear of the standard jeans, t-shirt and her brown jacket. It was complete with her chakram, knife and her Beretta._

_The reaper looked at her with that undertaker expression. “No but I am telling you that you are right about this place and I have a message for you: stop what you are doing.”_

_“Stop this hunt? I can’t do that.”_

_“Not the house,” the reaper replied, “The other hunt.”_

_Angela paused and looked at the reaper with an intent look. So that was what it was about? She replied, “You mean give up the hunt for Lilith?”_

_The reaper nodded._

_“Why?”_

_“Give up the hunt… or you will end up suffering far worse than being killed.”_

Angela’s eyes opened and groaned a little. So the reaper had been trying to communicate with her in the beginning and couldn’t. Well she didn’t give it much choice since it was her habit to ignore them if they made themselves visible while she was with the boys. And this reaper was telling her to stop her plans. Someone must be blabbing or Crowley and Ruby appealed to other forces. Both seemed to think that she couldn’t do it and maybe she had a snowball’s chance but…

She heard voices and shouts. She heard Corbett’s name being called and she heard… It was sweet music to heard Sam and Dean’s voices above the cacophony. She started trying to move and felt it shift. It created a lot of noise but she couldn’t break completely free and that was because her legs were pinned.

The voices were louder so she slowly tried to wriggle her arm through. It worked since she heard Sam and Dean and she called out for a little help. It wasn’t too long to wait when she heard Sam tell Dean to pull her out. She replied to Dean’s comments as he pulled her out and helped her up. She took her time to dust herself off in spite of the questions being asked of her. She just needed a moment but she knew that they didn’t have much time to mess around.

She rubbed her forehead and finally said, “He has Corbett.”

“That’s kind of obvious Angie,” Sam replied in a near whisper, concerned that she seemed a little off. True she had been that way ever since they walked in through the front door but it looked like she was disoriented almost. He took a look at her face and noticed that the last bruise that had been fading was made more prominent and he noticed her nose started bleeding a little.

“I know that,” Angela muttered unaware that her face wasn’t looking exactly at its best. “Just being… rational.” She made a slight frown at her choice of words. She might have hit her head harder than she thought… if she did.

Sam gave a slight smile at her and gently with his thumb wiped the blood away from her nose. “Are you okay?”

Angela nodded, taking in the fact that Sam had touched her face. Granted it was to wipe blood from her nose, but it was more reassuring than any words ever spoken. “I’m good and I’m hoping we can still get out of here before things get ugly.” She looked at Sam and Dean after giving a glance at the kids who were looking anxious and gave a slight shake of her head. “Chills and all.”

Sam and Dean nodded, knowing what she meant. Dean was the one that seized the situation, “Alright let’s get moving. We have to get out now.” He looked over Angela and made sure she was okay since even he thought that she was not completely there at the moment.

“Wait. What about Corbett?” Harry and Ed asked at the same time.

Angela looked in their direction unaware that he eyes flared a little. She was safe in that Sam and Dean, mostly Sam, shielded her from being noticed by the camera. She stepped forward, focusing on the moment at hand while she checked to make sure her weapons were still on her belt. “The spirit has him. Right now we need get you out so it doesn’t get any other ideas. Let’s move.”

Unfortunately that didn’t sit too well with the others and they started back on their spree of looking around for Corbett while they were shooing them out. Once they were back in the last room, Angela put a hand to her forehead while Ed was panicking over the fact that Corbett just disappeared. Sam at that moment rounded in on Dean, “It’s 12:04 Dean. Are you happy?”

“Yeah Sam, I’m happy,” Dean replied in his usual sarcasm while Angela was being quiet. At least she was keeping her head down and he suspected that she was doing her mojo thing.

“Let’s go hunt the Morton House you said. It’s our Grand Canyon.”

“Sam I don’t wanna hear it,” Dean replied.

“Sure you don’t and you dragged Angie into it too. You got two months left. Instead we’re gonna die tonight.” In his frustration Sam broke a chair against the door.

“Hey she agreed to it…”

“Dean, she’s been wigging out ever since we got here…”

“‘She’ is right here,” Angela replied as she continued to rub her forehead. It was her way of reminding them both that she was actually here and talking like she wasn’t. When she had their full attention she looked at them and added, “Look, I know I have been wigging out and it is that empath thing.” She made a slight motion with her head to indicate that she was giving them a hint.

Sam understood right away. He had seen her do it before. Dean got it too and replied, “So?”

“It’ll be okay and is the clue. Let’s just get them out,” Angela replied making a slight gesture with her head.

“Like that’s gonna happen unless you use your mojo like with that Vera bitch,” Sam replied in frustration. He threw the piece of wood in his hand at the door.

“I could. Witch mojo is easier to explain than,” Angela made a slight motion with her hand to indicate her teeth vamping out. The fact that they were in a supernatural lockdown was not making matters any easier. The best they could do was to try to keep the others alive and not get killed in the process. As she told the reaper, she had enough times dying and near death for the year.

“What’s going on guys?”

Sam was still in a temper as he stared at Angela in the eyes for nearly a minute. He knew she was being serious about the witch mojo. She would do it and if she got caught, it was a hell of a lot easier to explain than a vampire with super powers as Dean would put it. He was still angry at the whole thing but he was less angry after staring at her as he turned to answer the question, “I’ll tell you what’s going on. Every door, every window, every exit out of this house, they’re all sealed.”

Sam knew he was raising his voice in anger again and was surprised when he felt a slight tug on his jacket sleeve. He glanced and saw Angela studying the scene until she caught his eye. She made a slight motion before tapping the underside of his wrist. He knew she was saying that she knew he was angry and that it was okay. She was just telling him to calm down.

“Why are they sealed?”

“Supernatural lockdown,” Angela and Dean said at the same time. She was studying the door and the walls around it. Dean finished the explanation, “Whatever took Corbett doesn’t want us to leave. And it’s no death echo, this is a bad mother. It wants us scared.”

“Or it just wants us,” the girl Maggie said.

Angela gave a slight nod, “Maybe or…” She started walking around just as one of the cameramen said that the camera was frizzing again and comments about the EMF going hot. Yeah something was coming and it was big just like before. She frowned as she looked around the room walking around. One of her hands was out as per habit but she always seemed to get a better read for temperature from her hand and anything supernatural going on.

_12:10ish?_

_… Dean was right when he said that it wants us scared and I think that’s how this place has become such a hot spot. The death echoes simply fuel it since they replay their death over and over again. People fear death…_

“Everybody stay close, there’s something coming,” Sam told everyone.

 _Yeah something is coming_ , Angela replied as she walked around. This was doing nothing but adding to her theory that the bad mother that was haunting this place created a hot spot. Boy serious mojo could be conducted. She was surprised that none of the witches or demons or anyone else from her side of the tracks decided to dabble in the house. Then again they were probably smarter than that; hell they were smarter than her pack and the kids here.

Dean was looking around when he spotted Angela wandering around. At least her eyes weren’t vamping out but he could tell that she was onto something looking around and feeling out the place. She has that sixth sense when it came to spirits and the like and figured that it tied in with her healer mojo.

“What’s she doing?”

Sam’s attention was grabbed and noticed Angela walking around doing that feeling thing she did. Great, so they were going to have to explain the witch thing. He really didn’t want to get her that involved in this; not in front of these guys and their cameras. They wouldn’t understand and they would probably end up trying something more dangerous like going after someone like her and they probably wouldn’t be as friendly as she was on her best day. He hissed, “Angie.”

Angela was more in tuned to what was happening. She saw the lights flicker and then she felt it. It was a spike that she could sense through her hand and she straightened up just as the spirit appeared. She looked at it with a slight curious frown as she started walking around it and looking at it. It was portly and wearing a jacket and a sweater that she wouldn’t be caught dead in.

“This the same echo you saw earlier?” Dean asked the question as he flashed the light on the spirit. He glanced at Angela who was looking at it and she gave a slight shake.

“No, it’s a different guy.”

Dean frowned slightly, “Multiple echoes? What’s going on?”

“Beat’s me,” Sam replied. Silently he was telling his brother to grab Angela and get her to stop looking at the spirit like it was a curious frog specimen or something before the others got curious. He was more concerned that she might let her eyes vamp out like they did when she picked up on something supernatural.

“Okay, All right, all right, all right,” Dean replied as he started forward in an attempt to break the ghost out of its loop. He shot a glance at Angela who stood back with a slight look. He wanted to kick Sam’s ass for this. She knew what she was doing.

“What’s he doing?”

Angela looked at the group and put a hand to shield her eyes. They didn’t quite get the hint so she would work with it. “It’s rare but sometimes you can shock an echo out of it’s loop; if you can talk to the part that’s still human.”

Sam added, “Usually you have to have some connection to the deceased.”

Angela gave a nodded and averted her eyes to the ceiling. She was picking up on something; a sound. _Holy shit now something is definitely not right._ She was right when it was revealed that the sound she heard earlier was actually a train horn and everyone watched as the ghost got taken out by the thing. She just stood there looking at the area while everyone else reacted. Call her morbid or weird but she had seen echoes before so it was easy to ignore what was going on. _Definitely a hot spot. Now how to tell Sam and Dean that without…_

Dean had turned to look at everyone and her. She made a slight face that was a weird sort of cross between a smile and just a goofy expression. This was unreal and Dean knew that by that expression that Angela had some sort of answer for them. It was just a matter of getting the information without giving too much away.

At least the stunned silence was something to work with. Angela made a slight face and started looking through the room again, as if trying to find something she missed. Well they did miss something. They didn’t have the spirit. She was willing to bet however that the bad mother they were looking for was Freeman Daggett. After all he was the last owner of the house and what she remembered was that the whole haunted house thing started after he died from his heart attack.

It was the usual formation when Sam and Dean flanked her like they were doing at the moment and they were both going back and forth over the echoes. Dean was demanding if Sam found anything about anyone being shot or ran over on the property. Sam replied in the negative. Angela listened to them and aware that the camera was on them she had to be creative in her explanation for the moment. While it probably wouldn’t hurt to say something about it, she was more on par with her protective instincts and plus she didn’t want to open the door for any awkward explanations.

She muttered, “There’s an explanation for just about everything.”

“Maybe you can enlighten us Angie,” Dean replied, “Cause these echoes are not adding up to whatever took Corbett.”

Angela had paused and was looking at the nearby wall. She turned slightly towards Sam and made a gesture with her hands. She was hoping that he remembered a few things she taught him with gestures and words. To make sure that he was paying attention, she made a slight clearing with her throat and once she had his attention, she made her gestures.

Sam knew that she was signing the moment she made the coughing sound and she gave a slight tap to leg with the toe of her boot. He glanced at her hands and noticed she was making a repetitive motion. He had to focus on what she was saying. He was not an expert but on the nights when Dean wanted his fun time, she would teach him a few more signs and how to form simple sentences and they worked up to basic conversations.

Angela was way better and Sam could admit that. Still he knew that she was trying to tell him something and she was being careful about it. He signed, _What is it?_

Angela signed in return, _Hot spot. The house is a hot spot._

Sam had no idea what she was talking about. He had never even heard of that. He made a puzzled frown and signed his confusion.

_The house is full of spiritual energy. That’s why I’m wigging out. I can feel it like I do heat and cold._

It dawned on Sam what she was getting at and he signed back, _How…?_

_Hot spots are pockets of spiritual energy. They can be used for a variety of things._

_Like what?_

Before Angela could reply, Dean had come back and was looking at the pair of them. Angela said out loud, “Usual mojo.”

“You wanna fill me in?” Dean asked them. He had noticed that Angela was waving her fingers like she was miming something. He had no idea what she was saying but Sam seemed to get it and it didn’t take a genius to figure out that she was saying what her thoughts were on the case and judging from Sam’s expression, it was something new.

Angela sighed a little. At least they weren’t being watched too carefully. She said, “I think this place is like Stonehenge.”

Dean raised his brow. Was that the reason she was wigging out so much? He had heard of places that supposedly were places of power. The most obvious was that place since pagans messed with that. “Serious?”

“Sure as shooting,” Angela replied. “More man made though and it is related to the empath thing.” She put her hands on her hips keeping her ears attuned for anything that was out of the ordinary.

“I know multiple echoes don’t make sense and I checked too. There’s no record of what the deaths that we saw,” Angela said. “My guess is that something that was attached to the stiffs was brought here and that’s why we are seeing the echoes. As to the other stuff, they have one thing in common and it’s what our badass wants us to feel.”

“You know that you are sounding a little out there, right?” Dean looked at Angela and when she shot him a look he amended, “Look, I’m not saying you’re wrong but even I know that these things are rare enough not to be taken seriously.”

“Wait so you know about this?”

“I heard a thing or two from a sort of… you know.”

Angela pinched the bridge of her nose. At least Dean knew something so it wasn’t that painful. “I can assure you they are very real and it does take something powerful to make them whether it is natural or man-made. Even rare are the ones that are attached to emotions and the fact that the two echoes had a look I know too well and the fact I can feel everyone’s feelings like a thick blanket tells me that we are stuck in a rare one and I think it helps to fuel this badass’ mojo.”

“So what about the spirit?”

“Work it like the usual,” Angela replied with a slight shrug of her shoulders. “We better find out more about what we got here.”


	7. Chapter 7

_… I can tell that Sam and Dean both have trouble believing me about hot spots. If Bobby’s reaction was any indication then I should have quit while I was ahead. I know what I am talking about though._

_I am certain that with the way everyone is feeling whether they are showing it or not, it is fueling the spirit’s power. I know I have repeated it several times but it is true, emotions are powerful. The echoes didn’t take Corbett. The badass feeding on the fear from the loops and the victims and that’s the one that took him._

_I know that it can sense my fears. Call me paranoid but I know it can and I have a feeling that it knows what exactly I fear which was why it didn’t take me…_

Angela rubbed her wrist as she followed Sam and Dean. It was still sore after her encounter with the spirit. At least it wasn’t broken but badly bruised and probably to the bone. She did a good job hiding it from the boys and they knew not to make a fuss over her face. That wasn’t important now. Right now they had to find something that could tell them about the reason for the echoes and a clue as to the spirit.

“Did the echoes take Corbett?” Maggie was asking the question as she followed behind Dean and Angela.

“Yes… No. We don’t know what’s doing what here. That’s what we’re trying to figure out,” Dean replied. Well they did have some idea about what was going on thanks to Angela. They were dealing with a thing that was feeding on emotions and this place was a hotbed for it and that the missing people probably fueled the place. Of course why scare everyone needlessly? So Dean replied in his usual fashion and that was in a more or less rude fashion.

Sam though realized that the more calm everyone was, the better chance that they could get an edge on this or rather Angela would if she had to use her mojo. He was a bit uncomfortable being looked at through the camera and he was a nice guy so he explained, “Okay, look, um death echoes are ghosts, okay? Now ghosts usually haunt places where they lived or died.”

“Except the echoes we saw didn’t die here,” Angela replied in her soft tones. She didn’t like the camera either but in her experiences, sometimes it was unavoidable. She could name a few times where pictures were taken and she was in them and usually in the background. In the end she didn’t mind that they existed but it sure created an issue in explanations.

“So what are they doing here?”

Dean couldn’t help it, “Hey, give the lady a cigar.” He turned and smiled at the camera.

Angela gave him a slight elbow and gave a wry grin as he grunted. He didn’t even notice that she rubbed her wrist as she did it. She replied, “Now that means that either their bodies were brought here or something of theirs was brought here and hence the reason for the echoes. Other than that...”

Dean shot Angela a look and then looked back at Maggie holding the camera, “Seriously, does looking at this nightmare through that camera make you feel better or something? I mean…”

It made Maggie pause a moment and she replied, “Yeah. I think so.”

Dean raised his brow. Okay whatever floated a person’s boat that was his motto. He followed where Angela walked through.

“Um, does your friend need a flashlight to see where she’s going?”

Dean looked ahead at Angela who was just walking like she would out on a sidewalk. She had nothing except the shotgun she was holding and he could see the bulge of her Beretta in the waistband of her jeans at the back. Sam was further up ahead and there was no one else around. He looked back at Maggie and replied, “Angie’s fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“It’s fine. She can see where’s she’s going. Eye condition thing,” Dean replied looking for an excuse.

Angela heard Dean’s excuse about her not needing a flashlight. It might put attention on her and her eyes but he made it sound like it was a medical condition. She had to admit that it was a quick save. She decided to have a little fun with it. She stepped through a door and spotted something and grinned a little. As soon as she heard Dean’s footsteps close in, she motioned with her fingers and said, “You might want to watch your step there. I thought I saw something that was rather hairy and squeaks.” She knew the truth about the thing she was setting Dean up for and it might teach him a lesson about teasing Sam.

Dean damped down his fear and shown his light. He wanted to really get her back for that. At least it was a dead rat and not a live one. He began grumbling a little under his breath and glared when Angela started laughing to herself as she followed Sam. He was mollified when she said, “That was a nice save though.”

They made it into what could pass for a study. Angela took a look at the stuffed and mounted animals with a slight look that was mingled with disgust. She had never seen the appeal of hunting trophies. She could understand the utilitarian purposes associated with things like shamanism. However, this was rather creepy. She ignored it and walked towards one of the cabinets to begin looking for something and anything.

****

_… I have seen many things throughout my five hundred years of living, near dying and dying and it still surprises me at the sheer grossness of people. I guess I count myself lucky that I am not as freaked out by that in truth but I just can’t help expressing it. At least I was right about the echoes… well partially…_

“You said that Daggett was a hospital janitor right?” Dean asked Sam while he was digging through the metal box he found in the locker.

“Yeah,” Sam affirmed as he glanced over to where Angela was studying the C-Rations. So far that and the pamphlet on how to survive an atomic blast were the only things she had touched out of the whole room. He got the feeling that she was onto something and more likely it was that hot spot whatever she was obsessed with.

Dean made a face as he picked up three pieces of paper. “We got toe tags. One gunshot, one hit by a train and one suicide.”

Sam didn’t have to think too hard on that and simply said, “Ew.”

Ed and Harry were looking at Sam and Dean with puzzled looks. “What’s the big deal?”

Sam looked at them and started filling in blanks for them. “This is the reason for all the echoes. They’re here because their bodies are here.” He looked at them almost ready to motion with his hands to help them along in figuring it out.

They were still clueless so Dean filled in the rest, “Daggett, he brought the bodies home from the morgue… to play.” He had glanced at the camera in his face and then back at Harry and Ed to see if they got it.

Finally they got it and said in unison, “Ewww.”

Angela had looked up from studying the C-Rations and gave a slight chuckle. She muttered, “Still amazes me how humans can be just as perverted.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Angela glanced up to see that Maggie had been watching her. She picked up the box of rations and replied, “Just the way I talk.” She studied it and then looked at the pamphlet and gave a slight smile. “Huh, interesting.”

“Rations and a book?”

Angela looked at Maggie. She might as well say something… at least what she knew about Daggett as a person. That was somewhat safe territory. She shrugged her shoulders and replied, “Yeah. The atomic age was really scary for most people. Cold War, Cuban Missile Crisis was a year before Daggett died. Scary times.”

“So?”

“The guy was scared. Probably lived in fear of nuclear attack and believed in the whole duck and cover routine they came up with for the kids,” Angela added as she put tossed the box back on the shelf. “There were people who lived like that and that’s on top of hunting for Commies in your soup.”

What Angela didn’t say was that the whole fear thing coupled with the guy’s death created the hot spot that was giving her senses a jitter. Of course she wasn’t going to say that she had a conversation with a reaper that told her to quit while she was ahead on her search for Lilith. Like she would say that to her boys when they didn’t even know about the plans she had been making. Sure they knew something was up since she wasn’t exactly being stealthy on it.

Maybe she did want them to ask about it. Hell Ellen dragged it out of her that she was toying with the idea of going into hell to fetch Dean if nothing could be done. Well she never specifically said that it was Dean. She just happened to mention that it was a friend who did something stupid and she feared the only way to actually save him was to go downstairs and dig his ass out. More or less that was it paraphrasing it.

_Ellen sat across from Angela at the diner nearby and studied her. “You look tired.”_

_Angela toyed with the mug that was filled with coffee that was slowly turning cold. She gave a slight smile and replied, “Been busy.”_

_“Uh-huh like trying to get back on the horse after using my Jo to come back to life.”_

_Angela chuckled knowing that Ellen wasn’t that mad over it. “Something like that. Just trying to figure out how to help a friend get out of a situation where the endgame is in hell.”_

_“Sometimes I wonder where you find time for your life Angie.”_

_“Never had much of one except, eating, breathing, fighting and somehow living to tell the tale and do it all over again.”_

_Ellen huffed a bit as she took a sip of her coffee. She knew that this was a brief visit and how Angela manages to disappear without suffering the Inquisition of the Winchester boys was something that she had yet to figure out. “Don’t talk like it ain’t nothing. Now you said you had a problem, why not ask for help?”_

_“Simply because the idea that seems the best way is considered stupid or will be considered stupid.”_

_“That usually sounds about right especially if you told someone who cares about you.” Ellen eyed Angela carefully to gauge her reaction. She could tell that was exactly what was going through the girl’s mind. The things she did for people… “So what is this stupid idea?”_

_“Like I said, I have a friend who did something and he’s going to pay the price by going to hell within two months.”_

_“Why not go get after the demon that set it in motion?”_

_“Been there, done that… well tried to. It’s not possible. There is a catch and the consequences would devastate my friend. So in order to help, he goes to the pit and the idea is to go in after in him and bring him back.”_

_“Now that is crazy,” Ellen replied. She then narrowed her eyes in understanding, “But then I’m guessing that you know this and you know how to do it.”_

_“Sort of.” Angela saw the look and knew that she was not going to get away with just that so she added, “I remember a few things that I don’t like to talk about. I don’t like it but it’s for someone important to me.”_

_“Then you need help and I don’t mean a shrink. You need to have someone else help ya with this.” Ellen knew she was probably doing wrong by Angela by indulging but she knew that the girl was familiar with certain things._

_“But who Ellen? There are people that I want to ask but…”_

_“Don’t be afraid to ask for help Angie.”_

Angela flipped the manual back on the table as she thought about that memory. Ellen never really had to guess at what she was feeling or parts of her thoughts. That was the mom thing she figured but she was right. She had been afraid of asking for help and it was mostly because of what the emotional toll her idea was going to be.

She was afraid of asking for help. Never really before had she ever asked for help in anything on the job. She _gave_ help but never asked and if someone happened to give a hand it was just a matter of a teammate watching her back. Now because she was asking it of someone she had feelings about, it was different. The last time she had feelings about anyone, they died and that seemed to be the case throughout her life. It was why she worked alone and lived alone but she wasn’t alone anymore.

Nope, she gave that up the moment she walked into her boys’ lives and then Bobby’s. Dean and Sam stood by her on a lot of things and made her a part of their family. Ellen, Jo and Ash she knew and she figured she did a better job of protecting them from her interference. Plus she stayed away more often then. Now she felt like she was waiting for the other shoe to drop since she kept in touch with Jo and Ellen more and they had a standing arrangement at the new Roadhouse…

Angela turned and noticed that Maggie had started wandering off. Frowning in frustration from stupidity, she chased after her. She hissed at her, “What are you doing?”

Maggie had startled herself with the mirror and the stuffed bird and replied, “Um looking for Corbett.”

“Closer to the herd alright?” Angela replied after blinking at the sudden showing of light in her face.

“Sorry. Forgot about the eye condition.”

“No worries,” Angela replied as she turned to guide the girl back. She caught sight of Dean and made a slight gesture with her head. This was going to be a long night. She said to Harry who was asking about Maggie and said, “She’s fine. Now get back over there before I make ya.”

Harry looked at Angela with a look, “You?”

Dean overheard and said, “Yeah she can and you don’t want to piss her off.” He gave a slight chuckle and a shoulder pat to her shoulder.

Angela knew that it was okay for her to have a little fun if she didn’t get caught. However she wasn’t in the mood to play around. Normally she would take delight in scaring someone that she was capable of being a badass but this time, with what she was assuming was Daggett’s spirit calling the shots and in a powerful hot spot, she wasn’t going to play around. “Just get over there,” she motioned towards Maggie and Harry.

Sam came to stand by her and said, “That’s twice you’ve wandered off.”

Angela looked at Sam and noticed the concern. She couldn’t help but reply, “Sam, you’re not my leash. I noticed her wandering off and this time I have backup.”

“I know but,” Sam shut his mouth trying to think about what to say next. “I just don’t want anything to happen to you.”

Angela studied him a moment before replying, “You know that the injuries are part of the job and I do remember what I promised. I may have taken hits to the head but nothing has jarred what you asked out this grapefruit.” She gave a slight sigh and continued, “You know I’m not going to let them do something stupid. You know I wouldn’t let you or Dean do that either.”

Sam nodded. They didn’t always have to go into details about things. “We’re merely the players on the stage huh?”

“More or less. Stupid is as stupid does,” Angela replied being slightly humorous. She rubbed her wrist again.

Sam had been quick to notice that and reached for her hand. He noticed her wincing and loosened his grip slightly as he pushed up the sleeve of her jacket. Even with minimal light from the other lights all over the place, he could make out the hand shaped bruise on her wrist and it was nasty. “Spirit?”

“Yep,” Angela replied. “I think he bruised the bone. Nothing broken.” She tried to steady her breathing as she watched Sam inspect it. There really was nothing they could do about it but it didn’t hurt for him to look.

“You put your yam on it?”

“In the car.”

Sam nodded. As pissed and scared he was at being in this house, he felt at ease just assessing her injured wrist and making sure it wasn’t more serious. It was part of the job they did but the fact that when she wanted to be, she was a good patient. Well she was much better than him or Dean and she was better at toughing it out. “Need some help?”

“Probably,” Angela replied. She really didn’t want him to stop touching her wrist but as she often told herself, good things did come to an end. She felt it linger long after he gently released her wrist and lowered it. Yep her life was so much more complicated now.

At that moment Ed started saying something about the EMF going off or whatever their gizmo was. They were babbling about something coming and that it was big. Well she didn’t need to tell them that. Sam looked at her and she gave a nod, unaware that her eyes flickered and it had been caught on camera by Spruce who thought it was just a flare from her eyes.

Whatever was coming was big and Angela could feel it as she walked behind Sam to look around. This one was not like the echoes. She looked around as Ed said that it just hit eleven and was still rising. She knew exactly what it was and her hand went instinctively to her chakram while she held her shotgun ready to pull off a hipshot if necessary.

Dean tried to keep order, “Hold on, hold on. Stay quiet.” He looked and saw Angela looking alert and her eyes were narrowed. He knew that she was sensing something that wasn’t a harmless echo. This something else and probably that bad mother that had them trapped in that house. “Angie?” He shot a look at her.

Angela looked at him back and stood by Sam following instinctively Dean’s house rules which was modified to her rules as she made adjustments. Sam noticed when he turned around and saw her ready to pounce and almost said something about being overprotective. He didn’t though knowing she would just shoot him a gimlet eye and he would grow meek and apologetic. He wasn’t alone with that since her limpid looks could make Dean cave. She muttered in the first language that came to mind and it surprised her that it was the damn language that Crowley was enforcing on her. She was muttering, “Oh so sly but so am I.”

It was a phrase that she had heard from another hunter. It was more like speaking a challenge to the fugly they were hunting at the time. It just seemed right to say as she looked around. She could feel it coming and it felt like the hairs on her neck were standing up. She could feel the temperature change like it was nothing.

Sam watched her knowing that something was going on. He looked around not seeing anything but judging from the babbling that Ed and Harry were doing, it was coming and it was big. He heard Angela’s muttering and asked, “Is it…?”

Angela felt she was trying to go fifty miles per hour in second gear. She gave a slight nod while adjusting her position to allow Sam’s light to filter out and illuminate the room. She really didn’t need it per se but it helped; sort of like how Maggie said viewing the whole thing through the camera made her feel better. She saw it in a split second out of the corner of her eye. She saw it again but realized that the others weren’t seeing it. So it was playing the invisibility act and she was the only one that could see it. That was just perfect since she hadn’t really said that she could see spirits in that mode. Just another little secret that she didn’t quite think important at the time… well she did but she was more concerned that she would be a prime candidate for the nuthouse. She followed the spirit while trying not to alert the group. It appeared again out of the corner of her eye and she turned to get a hit but it was too late.

The spirit had shoved her down with a hit to the face effectively blindsiding her so she didn’t see it coming. Apparently it learned from the last time and decided to take her out before she had a chance to interfere and this time she would have since it was Sam. She hit the ground just as Sam’s light hit the ground with a clack. Just like that the sensation from the spirit was gone and with it so was Sam and she saw, or she thought she saw, him disappear.

“What’s going on? Sam?” Dean walked over to where he last saw his brother. Seeing nothing and wondering where the hell his brother was, he looked down and saw the flashlight. He picked it up and looked around and called for his brother by name, “Sam? Sam!” He started moving and nearly tripped on something. “What the…”

It was Angela on the ground and she looked like she had taken a beating. Dean took in that fact and the fact that his brother was missing and put two and two together as he helped Angela to her feet. The bastard had taken Sam and she saw it but it got the drop on her. “Angie, did you see it?”

Angela took a moment to process the fact that she was back on her feet and was surprised that she hadn’t let go of her weapons. She put the chakram back on her belt and began rubbing her head. That bastard blindsided her and it hurt like a bitch. She tried to figure out what went wrong because she saw the thing coming.

She went over it in her head. She had been able to see it since it was that spirit realm thing… It was loping like a predator. It ignored the others.

_Angie?_

It was looking at her or was it? It moved fast. It came right at them. She never saw it coming…

“Angie?” Dean shook Angela’s shoulder knowing that he was risking serious injury if she thought he was something other than him. “Hey, you okay? How many fingers?” He waved his hand in front of her face since it was obvious that she had a head injury.

The last thing that Angela saw was Daggett behind Sam. He struck him and grabbed him and he just smiled at her. He also said something… Whatever it was Angela couldn’t think of it because she was seeing fingers wiggle across her line of vision. She realized it was Dean and then blinked.

To Dean that was a start when he saw the blink. He watched as she looked around and then seeing the spot where everyone last saw Sam, he watched her eyes widen slightly and nearly panicked when they flickered. She looked back at him and said, “He has Sam.”


	8. Chapter 8

_12 or whatever time…_

_I hate this place._

_I know hate is a strong word but it’s the honest truth. Well the complete truth, aside from the fact that the energy here is strangling, I hate it and by extent Daggett because he took Sam. The bastard took Sam._

_I should have been more diligent and to hell if the kids saw me vamped out. I couldn’t bear it if I lost him. I am losing Dean and it hurts but Sam… I’m more afraid that it will be a rampage and nothing will be left. I remember how I felt with Talley. I don’t want to feel that way ever again and I am afraid…_

Dean was looking at Angela to make sure that she was okay. She did have a nice crack to the skull and she hadn’t quite been all there when she stood up. Sam was important but Dean knew that if Angela wasn’t all there, then Sam would kick his ass after pouncing on her and insisting on mothering her to death. “Come on Angie. Tell me how many fingers am I holding up?”

Angela focused on Dean’s fingers waving in front of her. She didn’t have a concussion but it did serve to bring her back into focus. She looked at Dean and replied, “Three, finger man.”

Dean was glad she attached a name calling to that. That meant that she was in the game. He could see though that she was worried and that worry was for Sam. “Good. I was afraid that you were concussed.”

“I could tell if I was,” Angela replied as she gently rubbed where Daggett hit her. “I’m sorry.”

Dean knew what she meant. She was blaming herself for the fugly taking Sam. It wasn’t her fault from his view. “Hey. None of that. We do what we can alright?” He put a finger under her chin on the pretext of checking her out for injuries.

Angela nodded in reply. Dean never blamed her for the trouble they got into on the job. That was reserved for when stupidity occurred and they both knew she never made a move unless she considered all angles. Still it was in her nature to do so especially considering how she felt about Sam. She had been in the position to follow Dean’s rule number one and that was to protect Sam. She knew that she couldn’t protect him from everything but she could sure as hell try and she understood Dean’s stance on that. “Right. Bastard caught me off guard. It was really fast.” She made a slight motion with her hands to indicate her earlier assertion.

Dean nodded. He glanced around and the cameras were still on. It was a risk since the cameras could capture it and they would probably get a bunch of questions. Thing was it was their best choice and he knew that she could find Sam even if she had the remains of one of his girly salads. “That’s okay. Angie, can you…?” Dean motioned towards his nose.

Angela raised her brow. Of course she could go that route. She was just surprised that he was willing to risk it with the kids. “For certain?”

“Hey, you got the nose for the little things,” Dean replied. “I know you can do it.”

Angela nodded. She gently took the flashlight Sam had been holding with her free hand after giving Dean a look. Yeah it was weird using something like a flashlight but the principle was virtually the same. Besides she could use it as a reference point since she had an idea of what Sam’s scent was like having been as long as she had with the boys.

It was a wonder she could tell them apart at all since they were always together. They were joined at the hip practically but embarrassingly she could tell subtle differences and it was always a source of amusement for Dean. She would give him a bone of harmless things that were enough to produce giggles but the truth would make her embarrassed and them too since she thought it to be pretty personal.

She looked at Dean and made a slight waving motion with Sam’s light. It was the waft test that they taught you in grade school for science class. However it looked like she was just being silly waving it around as she stared at Dean. It was better than making it obvious.

“What are you doing?”

Angela didn’t divert her look. She was concentrating so Dean ended up saying, “Nothing.”

“It looks like something.”

Dean looked at the guy Spruce who was looking at them. At that moment Angela had stopped what she was doing and slipped Sam’s light into the loop in her belt. She was ready to go and she was already walking back to where Sam last was. He didn’t say anything but kept himself busy looking for Sam. It was best to stay out of her way when she was using her mojo on the job. It was just asking to get tackled but he was sure that she was making an exception for these guys.

“What was she doing?” Spruce asked again.

“Nothing,” Dean snapped. He began calling for Sam, “Sammy! Sam!”

Angela heard Dean calling for Sam and then the others started calling for Corbett. She hoped this worked. At least she might be able to be a guide. At that thought, her hand went to her necklace and her fingers traced the shape. Except for the time in the hospital and when she died, she had never taken it off. At first she thought it was because of Sam’s sentiment when he gave it to her on her birthday but thinking about it… She kept it because it was from him and given because he wanted to.

_God I am getting a romantic heart. I’m growing a second set of lady parts._

It was an amusing thought but hardly the time or the place. She had to find Sam. She focused on what she picked up on the flashlight and from what she remembered when she had to find him in Ellis in the tunnels. At least there was no blood. She could detect it and it but there was a problem.

They had been moving throughout the house so his scent was everywhere. It was hard to pinpoint exactly where the freshest scent was. That sounded so lame and weird and downright creepy. Then again creepy followed her like the strays she picked up. Literally Sam’s scent was all over the the place.

“Are you trying to torture yourself again?”

Angela jumped slightly when she heard the voice. Turning she saw who it was and growled in frustration. Her hands were ready to grab the newcomer by the throat. At least no one was watching. “Don’t do that!” She hissed through gritted teeth as she tried to calm herself down to go back to looking and figuring out how to differentiate time scents.

Morpheus was amused. It was rare that he ever left the realm of dreams to actively walk in the spirit realm. When he did, it was usually the reapers that gave him the time of day. However this time he noticed a few things and grew curious. No doubt there were others that were curious too since they knew his best pupil well. He replied, “I do what I wish and you know that.” He didn’t care if she didn’t respond. She heard him and she could see him. So the rumors were true about her being able to see that which is largely invisible and her reaction was proof of it.

Angela for her part ignored Morpheus. More likely he was satiating his curiosity about the Morton House and what she already knew. Either that or it was his turn on the list to tell her what she should and should not do. That was the way of it with everyone who was interested not in her as a person but because of some bull crap thing about destiny. She couldn’t help but mutter, “Bloody Dream King.”

Morpheus chuckled. He had seen the other humans and the two that she accompanied and recalled the exercise he tried to conduct on her and her reaction then. It would be interesting to see what would happen now that she was placed in a very real situation similar to an exercise he had done before. He was surprised she didn’t remember it. “Your children’s references to me are hardly flattering but amusing.”

“Shits and giggles…”

“I am curious since it is very difficult to avoid conversation regarding Absolution these days. Rumors about chasing the demon are thick on the gossip tree and from reliable sources it seems to be true.”

Angela cast a glance at Morpheus. She raised a brow before turning back to work. She went back to where the scents were the thickest and hoped that she might find something.

“I know you don’t want to hear it and I’m not going to tell you. Seems to me you had enough of that lately. I was more curious how you found this hot spot but then again I’m surprised you’re able to function at all given the levels in this place. Reminds me of a scenario I once cooked up.”

Angela paused a moment and frowned. Come to think of it, this was a bit familiar. It was one of the training sessions she underwent with Morpheus when he taught her manipulation and how to fight off the images that an enemy might conjure. This situation was very familiar. She wracked her brain for the memory.

She remembered the setting was in a house like the Morton House and the god did the one thing that she asked him not to do. He put her in a situation where she was on a hunt with Sam ad Dean. They weren’t their actual selves even in the dream state. They were drudged up from her memories and probably what the god observed from their dreams. That scenario the fugly was a nasty spirit that had taken… was it Sam or Dean? She couldn’t remember but she remembered…

Angela looked at the god. If a camera was on her, it would have looked like she was glaring at nothing and to an outsider, she was. It was a good thing that there were no eyes on her because at her moment of realization, her eyes flickered in response.

Morpheus watched the whole thing and gave a short nod. “Yes it is very similar and no I didn’t know about this place until you set foot in it. You are like a light that draws in moths and other bugs.” He chuckled at the glare she shot his way. Actually it was what he had heard Dean term as a bitch face. Even though he hadn’t spoken to her lately he had been watching her through her dreams and he could honestly say that she was different from nearly a year ago.

Angela wondered if the crazies that saw hallucinations felt like she did. She could say something but if someone or something picked it up, then they would think she was a paranoid schizophrenic or something. Yeah she learned a thing or two from the head shrinks… well the ones who were egotistical enough to think that they should be noble and teach what they know about the mind. Though there was one who was a renowned expert and brilliant man in neurological science and she liked the class he taught at Stanford.

Feeling annoyed as she was getting nowhere with the sniffing out for Sam. She paused and looked around to reply, “So what do you want?”

“Merely to find out what is going on. You know this place would never have been noticed if you hadn’t set foot in here.”

“You said that already and I don’t need a spiel about touching the realm and blah, blah,” Angela replied in a low voice. “So if you’ll excuse me, I need to find someone very important to me.” She started to turn to continue her search.

“Ah yes. Sam went missing didn’t he? You didn’t see it coming and you got blindsided. You really must find a way to compartmentalize your emotions like you do everything else.”

Angela turned to give a wry eye at the god. “You promised.”

“What is said between us stays between us.”

“Bastard.” Angela turned back to her work. She was ready to give up and if this was like what the god had put her through… She paused and sighed in near exasperation. Putting a hand on the wall, she curled her fingers and made gouge marks in the wood.

Morpheus chuckled, loving every moment of this. He could see why Dean liked tormenting his younger brother. It was so much fun to see the expression that occurred and when you said the right thing you would get the results. He was impressed at the depth of the gouge marks she had made. “Impressive. If making comments about how you feel about the youngest Winchester produces this, I am curious as to what a near fatal injury would do.”

Angela gritted her teeth and turned towards the god. Her eyes were glowing embers, much like when she fought Vera, and her temper was not in the best frame set. Usually when someone said something like that in that tone of voice, it made her want to crush their skull into pulp. Shooting Vera was a mercy considering that she wanted to tear her apart limb by limb when she threatened Sam. “Go away.”

“Controlled temper,” Morpheus mused. “A major improvement.” He knew though that if he continued, she would probably lash out. She he decided to relent. “Look I know that little emotion called love has you running in all directions and you have done pretty well so far…”

“And you want to shoot it to hell.”

Morpheus sighed. He really pushed her buttons and with the amount of energy that was exploding out of this place, it was a wonder she wasn’t going out of her mind. He knew he shouldn’t have poked fun at her feelings for the youngest Winchester even though it had been much more entertaining before she discovered those feelings. “Alright, I apologize but just as a bit of advice, if there comes a time where a situation similar to this crops up, you better be prepared for the goading that will come. Now as to what I was saying earlier, this is very much like the scenario we played with in training.”

“And you involved my boys.”

“Again something may come in the future. As to the scenario, do you remember the solution?”

“Very well but it is hardly that.”

“The key is in the secret you keep about this place.”

Angela was about to say something when she heard Dean’s voice loud and clear. “What the fuck are you doing? Cut it out!” She gave a slight roll of her eyes when she picked up other sounds and figured something stupid was going on.

When Angela turned to say something to Morpheus only to find the god had left. “Okay, thanks for that.” She blew air through her lips to make a noise and thought about what the god said. She brushed it aside trying to think about what to do next.

“We’re down by two people.” A pause occurred and then, “Sam!”

Angela tried not to react to the urgency in Dean’s voice. She needed to keep it together for Dean’s sake. Even though her own nerves were shot because Sam was missing and it was starting to imagine the worst case scenarios and they all ended with him dead and she and Dean were crying and others where Dean was hurling abuse at her, she would do it. She had to.

_God if I am like this because Sam is missing, what am I going to be like when the hounds come after Dean?_

It was a sobering and mind numbing thought. What was she going to do when the hounds got their teeth on Dean? Yeah she had a plan to bring him back but could she watch them tear him from limb to limb? Would she go with her instincts and rush to protect him from the hounds and try to take on Lilith? She stared at the ground for a moment as she attempted to calm her thoughts.

“Sammy!”

Angela closed her eyes as if it would tune out Dean’s voice and anything else. She had to think. She had to think about what she had to work with in order to find Sam. She had things to work with.

_… Sometimes I wonder why I even bother with my façade of being the ‘strong’ one. I am not. I am like everyone else. I once had hopes and dreams and what I want the most I can’t have. I have fears too. My greatest fear is being alone; losing everything that meant or means something to me. And my bulldog wonders why I insist on pushing people away…_

Sam’s scent was strong in the area she was standing in. It wasn’t going to help her in finding him but maybe she could use what has been bothering her ever since she walked through the front door. She was not good at this unless under serious pressure and the last time she did this, she ended up dead but not completely dead. She really didn’t want to repeat that experience again but she had little choice.

Steadying her breathing, she utilized the technique she used when she tapped into her healing ability. Hades did mention that the source of her healer ability was what she tapped into and that whole shebang. She damped down her fears, anxieties and tuned out everything else. As she taught Augusta, there were other ways of seeing the world. All the senses of the human body made a complete world but in the end, it was the mind that put everything together.

The sounds quieted and it seemed like she was alone. She knew that she wasn’t but the quietness that happened was enough to trigger her greatest fear and it was crippling. It’s what made meditation in complete silence and with eyes closed difficult but it was her coping mechanism. That and the reason why she fought so hard against everyone’s advice especially if they told her that she couldn’t have it or it was impossible. That and her greatest treasure kept her focused.

The quiet became bearable after focusing. Angela breathed in and out as she listened all around. There was nothing else but her breathing and what her other senses were telling her. The fear was still all around and that was a given. That was the source of the hot spot’s power but it was connected to Daggett the spirit. She could think of it like a rope. It was then she heard it.

She hadn’t heard that song in years and even now she hated it. Well the artist she thought had a voice that was better suited for grating cheese. The song… not really her dish of tea but catchy and reminded her of teen soaps. Yet there it was, loud and distinctive.

There was also the smell of death. Well it was dead bodies. That was also a given since Daggett brought home bodies from the morgue to play. Yet it was with the music. So that meant that the bodies were in the same place as the music. That was certainly a bad visual. It was then that she sensed the spike.

If she said fear was powerful, well she was certainly proved herself right. The spike was from fear and it was increasing. Someone was getting really scared or two people were. Certainly two people could cause a spike like that… could they? Certainly was a thing worth researching during a time when she wasn’t worried about a spirit wanting to gank people because he was scared and a pervert.

It was her nature to reach out. The mind games thing was vastly uncharted territory since she wasn’t on the frequent user plan. Yet it had worked before because she him. She knew that he heard her in Cold Oak. At the time she wasn’t certain because she was injured, running on adrenaline and on the one mind track to get there before anything bad happened and she had to worry about two cadets who were newbies into the hunting realm.

Now she knew that he would hear her. It was fueled by the desire to reassure and calm the mind. _It’ll be okay Sam. We’re coming._

****

Sam manipulated his face to ease the soreness that accompanied with being hit across the face. He could feel the wetness above his lip and figured that his nose was bleeding. The spot under his left eye was sore and he probably was cut there. There was no way to know since he was tied to the chair he had been made to sit in.

It was dark with the exception of Corbett’s light and the poor kid was knocked out. At least he knew where the bodies were and he made a face at them. It was gross and for some strange reason he was reminded of when Angela told him about being sealed in a crypt. He wondered how she felt about being surrounded by dead bodies. His thoughts also turned to how she was doing. He didn’t get the whole thing about hot spots but the buildup of energy had her jumpy. He suspected she had never experienced that feeling before and he had to admit that he admired how she was able to handle it even at the risk of being accused of being crazy.

A moan from Corbett told him that the kid was walking up and he saw Daggett. He called to the kid to get him to focus and not be scared. It was hard when he saw Daggett pick up something round and pointed and walk to stand behind Corbett. “Stay with me, you got it? I’m right here.”

Sam could see what the spirit was intending to do. It was pretty obvious what was going to happen. Corbett was whimpering in fear. “Hey. Stay with me. Don’t.”

Of course when spirits were the vengeful types, there really was no distinction. Everything was black and white. You were or you weren’t and it was that simple. In this case, Sam could see that Daggett was going to go through with his intent and Sam had to watch as the spirit stabbed Corbett through the neck. “Corbett!”

Sam watched as the blood leeched out of Corbett’s neck and the life left his eyes. He then turned to glare at Daggett who looked like he was heading his way. If he had to, he was going to have to put up a fight.

_It’ll be okay Sam. We’re coming._

It was startling to hear it but also reassuring. It was like she was talking right at him. It was so clear. When he heard her at Cold Oak, it was more like it was in his head. Maybe this place was an amplifier like she gestured.

He knew he could reply. He did when they were kid shrunk and that was after he and Dean annoyed the hell out of each other. She was the only one who could hear him since she had the ability to so he didn’t have to worry about a lost signal or something like that.

Looking at Daggett, he focused on the reply, _Hurry Angie. He killed Corbett._

_Understood._

Sam took deep breaths as he heard her reply. He knew that she and Dean would find him. That he didn’t doubt. He just had to stay alive long enough.


	9. Chapter 9

_… It seems that my mind thing has been souped up because of the hot spot. My hunch was right and by latching onto the fear, I had gotten through to Sam. His reply was a relief but disheartening. The spike before my conversation confirmed another hunch. Time is of essence now and I won’t be afraid to take off the gauntlets. Funny how I say that when it’s always me or Sam that needs to hold Dean back…_

Angela gave a nod as she heard Sam’s reply and sent one back. She looked up and saw Dean looking at her. She hated to tell him but she replied, “Scent is no good. It’s all over the place.”

Dean bit back the fear that rose but a glance at Angela told him that she had found a source of inspiration. She must have done her mind thing and talked to Sam. “Okay but can’t you tell the difference?”

“Needs work,” Angela replied. It was true. One more thing she mentally added to the to-do list.

Dean nodded. She did have a point since they had been wandering just about everywhere in that house. “Anything else?”

“Sam’s okay. How long, I don’t know but if I know him, he’ll do what he can to stick it to Daggett.” Angela had glanced at the ground before looking up at Dean. She looked at him in the eye. “We’ll find him Dean.”

Dean found that at times, just leaning on Angela’s ability to put on a strong face was like a support beam. She understood his position when he did the same thing when confronted with his mortality and she leaned on him when she dealt with her feelings regarding Sam. He knew this was hell on her. “I know Angie but where to look. Daggett has to be holding him somewhere.”

Angela frowned in thought as she looked down. It then occurred to her as the evidence fit into place. “Well, Daggett died in 64’. We’re talking Cold War. The C-rations and the pamphlet Sam found.” She looked up at Dean.

“You’re thinking what I’m thinking?”

“I think so. Back to the den.”

They both raced back to the den and began looking through the papers again. Something would be there. They were in the middle of it when Harry asked, “What are you doing?”

Dean replied, “Daggett was a Cold War nut. He was an amateur taxidermist…”

That was a new bit to Angela. Dean must have found something while she was focused on the C-rations and answering Maggie’s questions. That would prove useful with the bodies with the morgue. Ugh that was such a grossing thought.

Dean was continuing, “He liked to slow dance with cadavers and he ate nothing but C-rations. So what the hell are we looking for?” He shouted last part.

“That’s a horrible life,” Maggie said.

“Well the guy was alone. The Cold War was a scary time since we were in the atomic age…” Angela stopped her looking. As the idea hit, she clapped her hands together. That was it. “Dean, I got it.” When they looked at her she said, “Cold War life; a scared life.”

Dean got what she was saying. They had their answer in regards to her hot spot thing and they knew where Sam was. “Right.” He nodded and took off and she wasn’t too far behind.

Angela caught up to Dean easily and at this point she didn’t care if her unusual speed spooked the Ghostfacers. It could easily be chalked up to sprinting training. She put Sam and Dean through that when they went through extreme training. She had an extra bounce in her step as she kept pace and followed Dean towards the basement, heedless of the fact that the cameras and the kids were following them and shouting at them begging them to wait.

“Sorry I doubted you.”

Angela didn’t need Dean to clarify what he meant. “No need. It’s rare enough to be considered ridiculous.”

“But you picked up on the fear thing. That was the clue wasn’t it?”

“The source Dean. I think because Daggett was alone and afraid, it just grew and when he died, it stayed. Fear is a powerful emotion.”

“Yeah well we should have followed on that. You seemed to have a knack to pick up on the emotional thing.” Dean flashed the light ahead. “Speaking of which, are you doing okay?”

“I’m fine. The head is fine.”

“Not that. The Rose,” Dean replied. Even though they were in a hurry and getting to Sam was their priority, his big brother instincts were telling him that he had someone else to look after at the moment even though she was insisting on sticking to the job. She may be good at maintaining a strong front but sooner or later, it eats away at everyone and him included. “How’s the Rose?”

Angela suppressed the urge to smile at Dean’s insistence of using their code word. She didn’t want anyone else to see how touched she was that he was keeping things discreet about her feelings especially with the wannabe camera crew chasing them. Dean’s increased sensitivity to her feelings was slowly making her feel at ease in sharing them but which ones to whom she was careful with. She replied, “Panicked at first but reassured when I got a reply.”

Dean nodded. He sensed that there was something more to it but he was going to have to ask for details later. “And the mojo?”

“Better but I’ll be glad to be out of this place. It is like a thick wool blanket and it feels stifling.” Angela paused before she added, “Dean, if I have to you know, I don’t know how the results will be in the end.”

“Cross that bridge when we come to it Angie,” Dean replied It was the best he could offer. Now that he was inclined to believe that the house was a source of power, he was concerned what would happen if she had to use her mojo. Why she would and what good it would do, aside from unpinning them from walls?

That was the best answer that could be given and Angela was willing to accept that. She nodded in reply and followed Dean around the corner subtly touching the wall of the house. With her adrenaline up and with everything going on in the house, she felt it like she had been hit by a car… not that she wanted to experience that but that seemed to be the best description. She took a couple of steps backwards like she lost her balance and moved her arms to right herself.

She looked ahead but Dean wasn’t there. She wasn’t in the hall heading to where they knew where to look. She turned and saw… “Sam?”

_… Visions are a bitch. There is no better way to say it. I hate them and wish I had no connection to them. I think it was just a cruel joke inflicted on me. I am no seer. Destiny crap all over again._

_Yet this was different… and disturbingly handy…_

Angela would have sworn but found that she couldn’t. It was like she was stuck being the fly on the wall but it was a moving wall. It was like she was the person… sort of like possession but sort of not. It had to be the work of the house and the energy and…

She could see Sam. She cringed at the bloody nose and the injury to the cheek. She could hear a voice telling him to relax and that it wasn’t going to hurt. What wasn’t going to hurt?

_You leave him alone you bastard!_

She really didn’t have to get so angry since all she, or rather Daggett since she was seeing through his eyes (gross being in a pervert), put a party hat on Sam’s head. However, she had to be concerned since Daggett paused and he must have looked around or something. Her eyes were on Sam and he was pissed and doing what he could to hide that he was scared.

She heard Daggett say something but she couldn’t hear anything clearly. She felt a tug on her arm and she was blasted back to where she had been standing. She blinked and saw that Dean was looking at her and flashing the light carefully in her eyes. “Angie? What is it?”

“I think Daggett heard me.”

Dean certainly wasn’t expecting that answer. He did hear her say ‘leave him alone you bastard’ and when he looked he saw that she was just standing there. It didn’t need much work to see that she was seeing something. It had been awhile since one of those came up and since this place was spook central it was no wonder things were going crazy. “I know I did.”

“Crap.”

“Angie, why do you think that?”

Angela looked at Dean. Before she could reply, she heard the kids starting to catch up. She gripped Dean’s arm above the elbow to start walking. “Daggett caught me before taking Corbett. He looked at me before deciding I looked better as part of the house decorations. He hit me first before grabbing Sam. He doesn’t like me but…”

That was weird even for Dean. Preferential treatment from a ghost? That was a new one. “Maybe he’s sensitive like you and didn’t like what he could sense.”

“Possibly but there is the possibility that he might want to ‘play’ with me.”

“He danced with corpses Angie and you’re alive.”

“I died and was brought back.” As soon as she said it, Angela remembered what Azazel said once long ago. He told her that things that were dead should stay dead. He even taunted her about being the same as she was before she died. It raised questions that she never had before and had dismissed it as the ramblings of a demon bent on distorting the truth. She bit her lower lip in consternation.

Dean was thinking the same thing. Yellow Eyes asked him if he was certain that he really knew her after asking him if he was sure Sam was one hundred percent Sam. It was disgusting to consider that Daggett wanted to play with her but that seemed like a possibility.

“Maybe I’m wrong,” Angela brushed it off as they came to the stairs that led to the basement. She started down them, intent on ignoring that possibility. It was morbid, gross and just… wrong.

Dean followed suit holding his light and following her lead. She was ignoring it for now and so would she. He had no idea that Maggie caught up with him and asked, “Where are you going?”

Dean replied, “Guys like Daggett back then, the ones that were really scared of the Russkies… they built bomb shelters. I’m guessing he’s got one.”

“He would and I’ll bet you it’s in the basement,” Angela added. She watched as Dean jiggled the handle and opened the door. She was ready with her shotgun, which she surprisingly still had a grip on. When he motioned her to go, she went in first and he followed. She didn’t see that they were followed by Spruce.

She wasn’t facing the camera and let her eyes flicker as they adjusted. She trip trotted softly down the stairs, barely making a sound. Stealth was her game and for a weird reason it seemed to work against the ghosts she hunted. She paused slightly when she caught a whiff and she felt her lips threaten a smile. She gave a signal to Dean.

Dean knew she found Sam’s scent by the signal she gave. _Damn she’s good… when it’s made easy._ That was a good sign and they were on the right track. They would get to Sam. It was short lived though when he heard the door to the basement slam shut. It was followed by the others shouting and saying that it wasn’t funny. Damn right it wasn’t funny but it seemed that the spirit was onto them and was intent on having his way with him. The door rattled as the others tried to open it. Well it looks like it wanted to separate them.

“Uh who closed the door?” Spruce asked the question after he caught a glimpse of Angela’s eyes again. He was sure that it was a retina flare thing but it was not like anything he had ever seen before. Maybe it had to do with that eye condition.

“It did. It wants to separate us,” Angela replied as she walked back up and tested the handle. Yep the door was shut and it wasn’t going to open anytime soon. She glanced at Dean and knew that he was thinking of the last part of their conversation. It was troublesome.

Dean shot a look at her before shouting through the door, “Ed, listen to me. There’s some salt in my duffle. Make a circle and get inside.”

“Inside your duffle bag?”

Angela pinched the bridge of her nose. That was painful. She shook her head as Dean retorted, “In the salt, you idiot!”

“Sometimes genius breeds stupidity. I know I’m guilty,” Angela said as she started back down.

“More like idiocy,” Dean countered. “Come one I need your sniffer.”

“Don’t worry. Since we’re locked in here it’s easy: Daggett is in here,” Angela replied in sarcasm. She didn’t care that Dean referred to her sense of smell in his usual way. It wasn’t like it was that revealing. More likely it would be accepted as a code or something.

“Thank you Captain Obvious.”

“You’re welcome Sergeant Sarcasm.”

“Uh, what did you mean by sniffer?”

Spruce’s question was like one of those phrases designed for comedic effect. To the two hunters that were exchanging their usual banter after a sudden bout of idiocy, it was hardly amusing. Angela looked at Spruce and pointedly ignored the question and went about looking for the bomb shelter entrance. Dean though said, “Figure of speech. Now shut up and let us work.”

“Smooth.”

“You can shut up too Angie.” Dean didn’t mean it in the manner it came out but he did feel bad that he snapped at her.

“And you know you love me,” Angela replied looking around, pausing every so often to look around. She backed away when she saw a stuffed deer head mounted on a post. God she hated those things. “You’d be bored.”

“Yeah sure.”

“Hey, can I ask you something?” Spruce entered again unperturbed that he had been brushed off about his questions regarding Angela. He figured that one of the two guys was the boyfriend but it was hard to tell.

“What?” Dean indulged without really looking. He kept looking at Angela as she paused to look for Sam’s scent. He would have laughed when she backed away from the stuffed deer head. It was similar to Sam’s reaction with clowns.

“Earlier, you and Sam. He said you had two months left?”

“It’s complicated,” Dean replied not really considering his answer. It was the usual response if someone asked about private stuff that had a supernatural twist to it. “A while ago, Sam…” He caught himself and changed his tune, “No, no, no. I’m not gonna whine about my fucking problems to some fucking reality show. I’m gonna do my fucking job.” He stared at the camera/Spruce for a moment before resuming his search.

“Is it cancer?”

“Shut up,” Dean replied.

“Idiot,” Angela muttered. “Seriously?” She stopped in front of a metal shelf and looked slightly up. She took a sniff and frowned. She pulled Sam’s flashlight out and made a waving motion with it and put it back in her belt loop. She sniffed the air again.

“What are you doing?”

“My job,” Angela replied before Dean got it into his head to jump Spruce and kill him. She motioned for Dean to come forward and whispered, “Here.”

Dean looked at the cabinet and the wall. It looked like a dead end but Angela’s sniffer was never wrong when it came to finding him or Sam. According to her, Sam went through that wall. So where was the fucking door? He then heard something. “Do you hear that?”

_But you’re coming to my party aren’t you? You and your pretty little friend? Well she already came._

Angela heard something alright and it wasn’t that now annoying song that Dean was probably hearing. She heard Daggett talking and it wasn’t about coming over for a nice hot cup of joe. She swallowed and felt her throat convulse in worry, fear and anger. To control it, she chewed her bottom lip while at the same time her eyes flickered reflecting her worry.

“Is that music?”

Dean replied to Spruce’s question after glancing at Angela. She heard something and it wasn’t the music. He knew she had good hearing and she was doing her damnedest to not overreact. He replied, “It’s coming from behind this wall. Angie?”

Angela stopped what she was doing and went to help Dean pull the shelf away. She could have done it herself and Dean knew that but they were in front of civilians and so far they only saw her wave a flashlight around like a rattle and space out slightly. That was enough. She grabbed the top since she was slightly taller than Dean and pulled as he pulled.

The shelf slid across the ground, scraping the ground. When it was over Dean dusted his hands. Angela looked at hers and dusted them and dusted her jacket off. “Damn and Bobby just cleaned this for me,” she muttered.

“I’ll get it dry cleaned for ya,” Dean replied knowing that she was just trying not to get to eager to charge in.

“Wow, you’re both strong.”

Dean had it. He turned and gave a slight glance at Angela who was looking at him like a parent would. She was giving the look. He turned towards Spruce with a slight eye roll and gave him the bird. He looked back at Angela who was still giving him the look. He muttered, “Hey at least I didn’t jump the guy right?”

“Yes you are so generous,” Angela replied.

“Oh I forgot. You’re the queen of generosity.”

“Low blow Dean.”

“Yeah and you love me for it,” Dean replied giving a slight smile.

“You know I do.”

“You guys are weird,” Spruce commented.

Angela grinned, not looking at the camera. “You get what ya get.” She turned her attention to the door.

Dean was struggling to get it open. She took a quick moment to study it. If it was something for a vault and she had the time and the equipment, she could blow the thing open. As it were, it was rusted shut and needed a really strong hand to open it. She saw Dean’s hands start to go red as he struggled with it. “Dean let me.”

Dean looked up at her. That was crazy. He shook his head and tried again.

Angela knew that he was just protecting her. She could just say that she worked out. Besides they needed to get inside. She could sense a spike and it was starting to rise. Plus she was hearing Daggett say something about Sam coming to the party and staying forever. No chance in hell was that going to happen. Not on her watch. She looked at the door and said in a firm voice, “Dean.”

Dean recognized that tone. She meant business. He was tempted to try again but this time it didn’t seem like a good idea. He was dealing with a struggling half vamp that was working hard not to vamp out and one that was in love with his brother and the fact that he was in trouble was messing with her usual rational self. She was like a ticking time bomb waiting to go off. He could indulge. He stepped back.

Angela stepped forward and grabbed the handle. Using all her strength she pulled on it to get it to move. With a kick, she had the door open like it was nothing. She walked in followed by Dean and Spruce to find the room decked out with a table and decaying bodies. There was her death smell and not to mention the fresh DB smell of Corbett and she could smell blood. It was human but the coppery smell was pungent along with what she had been smelling to locate Sam.

Standing near Sam was Daggett. He was looking at her and he had a pleased expression on his face. It was like he was happy that she found this place. Did the sick and lonely bastard want her to find him and play? She was officially grossed out by that thought and she made a slight face at it as Daggett looked at her with a look that was like a lecher look.

She didn’t give it a second thought as Dean called out Sam’s name. Her hand went to her belt and she grabbed her chakram. As soon as Dean brought up his shotgun and fired, she threw it right at Daggett’s head. Her timing was really good. The round and the chakram hit at the same time and Daggett’s ghost disappeared.

Angela had started moving towards Sam as she threw it. She summoned it back by sticking her arm out towards the dark and in the direction it had gone. It was well in the dark so they wouldn’t be able to see what she was doing unless they had night vision. With the chakram in hand, she began slicing the ropes.

“I’m glad to see you,” Sam whispered.

“Good to see you,” Angela replied as she worked her way through the ropes. “Glad you got my message.”

“Never doubted,” Sam replied looking at her. He didn’t. After they separated and she came back, he never doubted that she would come. It didn’t matter what the situation was. He looked at his feet where Dean was working the ropes there.

“Don’t need that,” Angela muttered as she pulled the party hat off Sam’s head and made a cursory inspection of his face. It was nothing major and could be fixed with some salve and ice to reduce the swelling. Any bruising she would use her wild yam, or let him do it. “Now just point me in the direction of the recording and I’ll shoot it to turn that damn song off.”

“Thanks,” Sam replied as he was given a hand up. He wanted to laugh at the fact that there was one song that agitated the music lover of their trio. He did appreciate her attempt to lighten the mood even though she was probably agitated by the whole thing and the house situation.

“Oh, no. Corbett,” Spruce’s voice caught their attention.


	10. Chapter 10

_… Sometimes I wish that adrenaline had an on/off switch. My blood is up and I know that it was unnecessary with the chakram but hey it was the first thing I grabbed and it helped._

_I didn’t like how Daggett looked at me though. My thoughts on that he was pleased with me being there and already being invited to the party… they seem to become more valid. What if what Azazel said to me has some merit? I know those who go downstairs and if they are able to get out, they never are the same. Is there something wrong with me?_

This was the worst set of jitters that Angela had to deal with. She felt like she did when she killed her first human, one that wasn’t into the supernatural and like it was for Dean, it was in self-defense. She gripped her chakram tightly in her hand. She wasn’t in danger of cutting herself. She had better control than that and after what Dean mentioned about Sam doing to his hand, she needed to set some example of control. It sounded ridiculous now since she knew Sam knew how to handle the weapon almost as well as she could. She knew he did that spinning trick to annoy Dean and she was guilty of the same thing too.

The song was still playing and it was agitating. The voice had graduated from grating cheese to nails on a chalkboard. She leaned towards Sam and said, “Please tell me you know where that music is coming from. I have a date to put it out of its misery.”

It would have been funny under circumstances that didn’t involve life and death and hell even Dean would have exploited it to the fullest. At this point though it was easy to see that it wasn’t funny and Angela’s agitation was clearly showing as she prowled on the lookout for Daggett. She paused when she stopped by Corbett. It was pretty effective at stopping her from going into a frenzy and she reached out and with two fingers, she closed Corbett’s eyes.

She always said that she wasn’t afraid of death nor was she afraid of dying. It was just another step and another adventure in what the philosophical folks called life. Hell she had died and almost died more times than the average human and she was half human. She had respect for it and as Tessa told her, it was one of the reasons why the other reapers and Death himself liked her. She had to snort at that since most of those beings into the whole natural order thing didn’t like her.

Staring at Corbett though, she felt like she was facing a future event. She knew that one day that she would see both Winchesters like this, dead, and not necessarily looking like their asses got kicked but that didn’t dispel the fact that she was facing an inevitable end. Why did she fight so hard for them when the job itself called for the possibility of death and dismemberment and whatever other gruesome end that could happen? It was like trying to stay two steps ahead of the flood or something like that. People died every day.

Angela knew that she was sounding like a cynic in her mind. Yeah they may all end up going but hell she wasn’t ready to give up. No one with a good heart deserved the pit. She muttered a few choice words for the passage of the dead but they were not really effective in putting a spirit to rest. It was more along the lines of peace of mind for those left behind. They weren’t the words she once said to Sam. Subconsciously she was sliding her chakram through her hand.

When she was finished, she turned her attention towards Sam and Dean. At least right now they were okay but they still had to worry about the reappearance of Daggett. From what she had heard and what had happened, she was certain that he would be back and she was going to be expected to play. She had no idea what he had in mind for that and she wasn’t about to find out but it would prove a problem if he didn’t let them leave. Then she would have to get drastic and that meant vamping out… A holy mess indeed and again she was the center of it. The story of her life and that was not up for grabs for a reality show. Those things were rigged pieces of crap designed to diminish human intelligence to Neandertal levels.

It was Sam that made a slight look with his face as she handed him her shotgun. At the raised brow she said, “I’ll shoot my eye out.”

Sam coughed to hide the laugh. He had seen her intense look at Corbett’s body like she was deep in thought. She was a serious individual considering she had seen people die. To use humor like that told him she was not willing to speak of it in front of others and it was something that she most likely would insist on dealing with alone. “Not really Tex,” he murmured. “Later?”

“Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow,” Angela replied quoting Shakespeare again. It was her favorite text to fall back on and ever since Sam revealed his knowledge of that playwright, she would have the most fun with their quoting game. “I can take it here in Hunger City.”

Dean overheard her response and thought it was a queer time to be getting back into that game but then again Sam understood her better than he did at times. “Alright, so let’s book.” He started pushing them towards the exit muttering, “Mr. and Mrs. Geek.”

Sam and Angela shared a looked which was a mixture of amusement and understanding. They would talk later which was what she had been telling him and he understood. The second part he wasn’t so sure but he was going to take it literally meaning that she was doing fine and she could finish this.

“So what’s this Daggett guy’s problem anyway?”

Sam frowned at the light that flashed in his face. He felt like hell and the camera was still rolling. He noticed that Angela had compensated for the sudden light by looking down and he caught a glimpse of her eyes flickering. He replied as she did, “Loneliness.”

“Has he never heard of a RealDoll?”

Angela gave a slight eye roll at Dean’s sense of timing. The sex jokes she got and that was something she didn’t want to get into since her mind was still stuck on the fact that Daggett wanted her to play. She got the feeling that Sam knew that too and he was just biding his time until he would ask her about that.

Sam knew what was bothering Angela the moment Dean said that and he didn’t have to look at her. Her wrist bumped his arm and it was the one that Daggett bruised. He would talk to her about it later since at the moment they were the only two that knew about it. He replied, “No, no, no. Daggett was the Norman Bates stuff-your-mother- kind of lonely. I mean, that’s why he lifted these bodies from the morgue. He threw himself a birthday party, except they were the only ones who would come. Anyway, so at midnight, he sealed them in the bomb shelter and went upstairs and OD’d on horse tranqs.”

“How do you know this?”

“Because he told me.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah,” Sam replied giving a slight chuckle and looked back into the shelter.

“And I thought consuming dead bodies to absorb their spirits was messed up,” Angela replied as she looked back in as well. She still had her chakram out and was rubbing her thumb on the flattened side. Occasionally her thumbnail clicked on the sharpened edge. She understood now Jo’s habit of tapping her knife. She had good reason. They weren’t out of this yet.

Dean looked at Angela with a raised brow for her comment. “Okay so now that he’s dead, now what? Same song, different verse, trying to get people to come to his party?”

“Pretty much, yeah. Stay forever,” Sam replied.

“Nice way to spend eternity,” Angela muttered as she looked around. She held her weapon hand up and occasionally twirled the chakram around as she looked for any signs of Daggett showing. She could feel cold and it was cold like Darby cold but she wasn’t going delusional from hypothermia.

“Those real bullets?”

Dean looked at Spruce. He hated this but at least the attention was away from Angela. She had way too many weird weapons and it was sheer luck that Spruce hadn’t asked about the chakram. He wondered why she had it out. It looked silver and rock salt and iron worked best against spirits. He replied, “It’s rock salt.” He handed some extra rounds to Sam for the gun Angela handed him before starting up the basement stairs.

The door was still shut and tight. Dean started banging on the door trying to open it. He wasn’t going to ask Angela to use her mojo. Maybe her strength since they already saw it…

“Why not let super girl here do it?”

Sam looked down at Spruce with a look, “Seriously? You’re still shooting?”

Angela replied trying to divert attention away from the fact that she used her strength to open the last door. However she did have the nagging thought that Daggett let it open when she stepped up and… “It makes him feel better. Don’t ask.”

“Okay and what’s this about the super chick comment?”

Dean paused. Leave it to Sam to pick up on everything. “Angie helped with the door.”

“Dean.”

There was a lot said in that statement. Dean knew that Sam was pissed that she did that but more at him for letting her do it. He knew Sam would realize that she was left with little choice and that they were trying to rescue him from Daggett. He replied in a low voice, “Sam. Did what she had to.” He glanced at Sam before going back to work.

Sam was upset. He wasn’t trying to be an ass but there were people out there who had never heard of the things they saw every day and that he lived with one such person. They wouldn’t be as understanding and if they were like the two goofballs that they were stuck with, they would try to exploit either her or go after those things and end up getting themselves killed. He knew she wouldn’t want that on her conscious and he sure as hell didn’t want her to be used like that.

Dean groaned in frustration. Time for Angela to get with the super strength thing. “Angie…”

Angela looked up at him from where she was and made a slight clicking with her tongue. She was going to start up when she stopped suddenly. There was the chill again and Spruce was saying, “Oh hell, guys. Get into your ghost role thing. Something’s coming.”

Sam and Dean didn’t need a second opinion. The second they saw Angela freeze, her eyes flickered in response and in that darker ember shade. Her back was to Spruce so they were safe on that but they knew that Daggett was coming. They started coming back down but she was faster and followed Spruce.

Angela followed Spruce, determined to put a stop to this. She saw Daggett appeared and she made to swipe with her chakram but she was pushed out of the way and hard. She collided with something and it did a shake, rattle and roll. She glared and started to get up just as Sam rounded the corner and shot at Daggett with his shotgun. “Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it,” Sam replied as he held out his hand. He pulled her to her feet and she automatically went to check on Spruce.

Angela put her hand on Spruce’s head and made a cursory inspection. “You okay?”

“Yeah.”

Angela checked one more time to make herself convinced he was okay. “No bumps. Just a little toss. You were lucky.” She grabbed Spruce and hauled him up. “Up we go.” When he was up, she bent over and picked up his camera. She was tempted to not hand it back but she wasn’t mean. She gave it back to Spruce, holding it in one hand, aware that she was really defying possibilities there. That particular kind of camera was really heavy to hold with the support and she was holding it like it was nothing. “Here. Now point that thing somewhere else.” She turned to avoid being looked at by the camera.

Sam made a slight step to shield her. Yeah they were in trouble. He looked at Spruce, “Hey, you all right?”

Angela had moved to get out of the way of the camera. She was looking all around and poking at sore spots on her body. Her self-inspection was something to do while she pulled herself together. The spike she had felt hadn’t dissipated when Sam shot Daggett. He was coming back and he was probably pissed. She came across the stuffed head and backed away from it in a jerking fashion. She wanted to rip it down and hack it to pieces. She really was getting into that violent tendency mode. She looked back at the group looking for any sign.

“Uh guys.”

Angela spotted Daggett and shouted, “Dean!” She brought her throwing arm up.

Dean turned mostly out of reaction to Angela’s movement. He saw her bring up her arm and was ready to throw. That meant he had to duck or she would be backup. He remembered when he once asked her how sharp her chakram was. She gave a demonstration in her corner of the Salvage Yard by stringing up a pig she somehow managed to procure. He didn’t ask except to ask why a pig and she told him that pigs physiologically were the most like humans.

Dean was surprised when she had Sam throw it. His brother was pretty good and she said that he just made a paraplegic. The chakram was wedged in there and Dean could see that it would have severed the spinal cord. Then she threw it and he watched as the body of the pig dropped to the tarp she had laid out. The only thing dangling was the head. So he knew what it was capable of and to be honest that was the best few weeks of bacon, ham, pork chops and whatever else she was able to make. As soon as he turned though, he was grabbed by Daggett and thrown aside like a rag doll. He collided with something hard.

Angela was quick in her reflexes and threw her chakram but because of the sudden movements, it missed and buried itself in a wooden shelf. It was instant reaction when Sam put himself between her and Daggett and for his trouble, he was shoved hard and it looked like he hit his head. Her throat convulsed with her adrenaline rush. She looked at her chakram and tried to get it to move but it was wedged in there.

Daggett for his part looked at her and then started towards Spruce. No way was she going to let Daggett take another victim. She jumped to stand between Daggett and Spruce and held up her hand. “No.” It was probably ridiculous since most spirits didn’t really communicate with the living but went right to what they did. The one exception was the Silver Streak and that was because Tessa was there.

“You want to play?”

Angela made a slight face of disgust. Daggett was effectively stopped. He didn’t move but it seemed like he was waiting for an answer from her. “Just stay back.”

“A pretty lady came to my party. We’re having fun.”

“Uh, what’s this about?” Spruce was whispering.

Angela felt her breaths increase. If she didn’t slow it down, she could hyperventilate. Like she often told the boys, her body was human. It responded to stimuli like anyone else. She wasn’t invincible though she did get the impression that Dean operated under that impression. She whispered back, “Um…”

“You came. You want to stay.”

“Uh,” Angela didn’t know what to do. She was feeling very uncomfortable. The way Daggett was looking at her… Sam was right in describing him as the Norman Bates loneliness. She could feel the fear and loneliness crawl up her spine and it was wrapping itself around it. She managed to motion to Spruce to move aside as she took a step back.

Daggett responded by taking a step forward. “You feel it like me. You are drawn because of it. We’re outsiders.”

Angela backed up and her breaths were coming in hitches. She was capable of moving but she couldn’t do it. She shut her lips tight and tried to still her breathing. She widened her eyes slightly when Daggett extended an arm towards her. It was like being backed into a corner as she watched those fingers extend towards her. Her back hit the wall and she continued to press. “Stop. Don’t. I don’t know what you mean but stop.”

“I am lonely. You are lonely. I am afraid. You are afraid.”

Angela saw the fingers come closer. God, where was salt when you needed it? She blinked and her mind’s eye flashed back to a similar time when she was cornered like this. It was another tiem when someone came that close to things locked away.

_“What is the matter with you Cat? Do you have a death wish?”_

_“I am not afraid to die, Gabe,” Angela said as she turned away. “I do what has to be done. You can’t be the ‘nice guy’ on this job.”_

_“You are such a cynic and it’s not you.”_

_“And who do you think I am?” Angela turned to look at Gabriel in the eye with a challenge. She had managed to clean the blood from her cut lip._

_Gabriel walked up to her with that piercing look and pushed her back. She took a step back for every step he took forward. She put her hand up for him to keep his distance. She hadn’t let people into her personal space since that last incident._

_He ignored it and pinned her against the wall. He reached out and touched her. She grabbed his wrist but he put his fingers on her cheek and leaned in close. He said, “You’re afraid. You are afraid to lose.”_

Angela snapped back into focus. She saw the fingers just inches away. She narrowed her eyes and said, “Alright. You want my answer?”

That got a response from Daggett. She stared at the spirit and took in the dirty pallor, the nasty looking teeth and blue eyes. He looked like he had spent too much time cleaning. “Tell the truth.”

Angela gave a slight grin. She glanced at her chakram and it started jiggling free. She narrowed her eyes and stilled her breathing to normal levels. “You want the truth,” she ventured. As she spoke the chakram became looser from its holdings. She started taking a step forward, “I’ll tell you the truth.”

At that moment, the chakram came free and came to her free hand. Angela felt the metal in her hand and gripped it tight. She replied, “The truth is that I am angry.” She swiped with the chakram across the throat. If Daggett were alive, she would have sliced the jugular vein and probably have the head nearly severed. She whirled around still glaring and ready for a fight.

Daggett wasn’t finished. He reappeared saying in a pitiful voice, “You don’t want to stay for my party.”

Angela turned and was gripped hard and shoved headfirst into the wall. That hurt and like a bitch. She did manage to turn as she held her head and throw her chakram again and he disappeared. He reappeared again but this time heading towards Spruce. She moaned under her breath and tried to get to her feet.

Her head was pounding. She was going to have a massive headache later. That was for sure. She closed her eyes to focus. She could sense that another echo appeared somewhere. There was a spike of fear but it changed. It had been broken from its loop.

Suddenly there was Corbett. He appeared behind Daggett, injuries and all. Well that was how it usually was with ghosts; death echo or not. Spruce said, “Corbett?”

Angela slid to the floor with her hand on her head. She watched as Corbett looked at Daggett. Suddenly he ran forward and grabbed Daggett in a body tackle worthy of a linebacker. She took in deep breaths as they wrestled, their essences swirling like smoke. She could feel it.

There was a shift in the energy. She could feel the fear ebbing away. It was replaced by determination and courage. She watched the two spirits wrestle and courage took over. She couldn’t help but remember a poem she read about courage as a bright light appeared. The light grew larger and would have probably blinded her but it didn’t as she watched. It was rather soothing. Then it was gone and so was the splitting headache.

“You all right, dude?”

That diverted Angela’s attention. She saw Dean grimacing on the ground. He probably had a nice head beating. She stood up and walked over and extended a hand out. She knew Dean wasn’t squeamish about being helped up by a girl and that was proven by his grip in her hand and her pulling him up and supporting his weight. She looked at him and made a slight gesture with her head.

Dean made a slight frown and waved her away to go see Sam. She gave a grin and said, “You know you love me.”

Dean took a breath and shook his head as he watched Angela help Sam up. He noticed her chakram on the ground and walked over to pick it up. He turned to see Sam frowning and looking at Angela and rubbing his thumb on her head gently. He walked over towards them noticing that Angela was not daring to touch Sam’s injuries though he could tell that she was just itching to. He held out her weapon and said, “Hey I thought you were a dead eye with this.” He grinned at her to show that he was teasing.

Angela took her chakram with a slight grin on her face. She knew Dean was teasing her. “I am. I got him while you were getting shut eye. Reminds me of that time in a cemetery…” She glanced at Dean, daring him to remember.

“Alright, alright.” Dean looked at his brother and then Angela. He could see why Sam was frowning. She had a small cut near her hairline and the bruise that had just started to fade was more prominent on her face. She looked like someone beat her up.

“You guys okay?”

Dean rolled his eyes and put his hand over the lens of the camera with one hand. With the other he grabbed Angela’s arm and pushed her behind Sam. Enough was enough.


	11. Chapter 11

_February 29, 2008, Sunrise_

_We made it through the night. Daggett has been handled and the energy… It is gone. It is all gone. The fear and loneliness was gone and I can no longer feel it up and down my spine. The only thing I do feel is every sore spot on my body and that is a relief._

_The Ghostfacers are okay. That is everyone except for Corbett and yet he was the one that pretty much saved us. In the end courage killed the fear. Like the principles of integers; a negative and a positive cancel each other out. That means the hot spot is burnt out. For this one I am glad…_

Angela stepped out of the house and took a deep breath of fresh air. It was clean and certainly better than the musty, dusty smell of the air in the Morton House. It was also warm outside. Oh it felt so good after the entire night in that dank and cold house. It even felt good to feel all the soreness from the injuries she sustained from the ordeal.

Looking around, she could make out the Impala and the morning mist was swirling around. There was never a sight more beautiful. Actually it was life that was beautiful. It was and how a person lived was beautiful.

“You look happy.”

Angela looked to see Sam looking at her. She replied, “I am. I just discovered that you never really appreciate something until you are forced to live without it. To feel warmth instead of cold again… it feels nice.” She gave a thoughtful expression as she started down the stairs of the porch.

She had been tempted many times to take a look at Sam’s injuries while in the house but she resisted. It was okay if Dean saw since he knew and she had seen to both of them before. It was the fact that there were cameras still around. She had already done enough weird things in front of them that could easily be explained away. This was different.

She started walking towards the Impala to avoid more shots by the camera but she was able to observe Sam give Ed a scrap of paper probably with his number on it or something. She continued towards the Impala and opened the door to lean against it and waited for the boys to get to the car. She took the moment to just literally stop and smell the roses. She rested her head on her arms and closed her eyes.

“Hey, you intend to get in?”

Angela slowly opened her eyes to see both the Winchesters looking at her. Dean was giving her the ‘what the hell’ look and Sam was checking her out to see if she had a concussion. She peered lazily at them and said, “I was waiting for you guys.” She got into her seat in the back of the Impala and closed the door.

The Impala never smelled so good. The leather seats and she could smell the mixture of Dean’s road food and oil and… She took in a deep breath and leaned back with closed eyes and a smile on her face. Sam glanced at her and gave a slight smile but Dean had to ask, “Angie you okay?”

“You ever wonder how great the smell of leather is?”

Dean raised his brow, “Alrighty then.”

“Dean, drop it. This is actually a good thing,” Sam replied. He motioned for Dean to drive.

Dean said nothing. He glanced in the rearview mirror and saw Angela with that goofy happy look he hadn’t seen in a while. She was reclining in the backseat. He was willing to believe Sam’s assessment. He started driving back to the motel.

****

Angela held the rag away when she heard the hiss from Sam. She knew that the stuff stung but he never really hissed before. She did have a black eye so to speak so maybe she shouldn’t be doing this. She held the rag out to Sam. She should let him do it. She turned towards the door.

“Hey, what are you doing Angie?”

Angela glanced at Dean who was looking at her like she lost her mind then at Sam who was looking at her with that pensive frown he wore. She rubbed her forehead. She didn’t have a headache but she did have a sore spot from the cut on her head and her right cheek hurt, not to mention her wrist. “I… got a headache.”

“Concussion, migraine?”

Angela waved her hand at Dean to indicate to leave it alone. She said nothing else and went to her room. Once in there she grabbed a change of clothes and went into the bathroom. At least a shower would relieve everything and wash the blood and grime off. Plus she needed some time to think and what better time to do it?

_Fine time to be thinking about Ruby’s advice. Then again if I can’t see well…_

Angela ran her fingers through her hair. It felt like every strand was sensitive as she rinsed the shampoo away. The hot water felt good on her body. Looking down, she could see the hand print bruise on her wrist but it also appeared slightly swollen. She touched it and winced. She must have cracked a bone along with the bruising. She hated to see what her back looked like.

She ran her hands touching the sore spots and felt to find the extent of them. It felt like they were just sore. Maybe a red welt on one area. She took a lot of abuse on hunts. She could take more than normal humans. Her fingers touched an old scar right near her spine. It was smooth and slightly raised. She didn’t have to see it but she knew that time had it blend color wise with the rest of her skin tone but you could see it. She hitched her breath slightly as she brushed her fingers against it, sending shivers up her spine.

She was reminded of what happened in the Morton House. She couldn’t get over the fact that Daggett said that she came to the party or that she was already there, according to the conversation he had with Sam. It was… disconcerting. From her view, she died and had been brought back and of course she was dead but not dead plenty of times. Even she knew that things that were supposed to be dead should stay dead but if they came back, were they ever the same?

She knew it was her father’s love that motivated him to bring her back from the dead. For a long time after she learned he had given his life for hers, she was angry and full of guilt. She didn’t think she deserved a second chance. She had died a couple of other times and was brought back through methods like CPR and the like. Then there was the whole thing with being shunted to the realm of the goddess and that hoopla.

She made the choice to come back those times. That first time though it was an appeal. The other times, she fought. She fought to come back. She chose life even when she had grown weary of the job at times. There were times for those like the vampire that the idea of eternity was unbearable and a hollow existence even if there were things one did to remain connected to the world. Sam died and came back and yet Daggett spoke differently to her. Then that last showdown before Corbett saved them.

Sighing, she finished rinsing the last of the soap away. She got out and gently wiped the excess water from her body. She thought about what Daggett said about her feeling the fear and loneliness. Yeah she did feel it but he said it drew her. No it didn’t. She hadn’t even heard of the place until Dean mentioned it. She did feel compelled to see the house before they went in but that was something she did on any job.

It was really messing with her head but she had learned that there were things that… There were things that were connected and on levels that were not easily understood. It really could mess with your head if you weren’t careful and you really did feel alone with that knowledge. As she studied her face and made a face at the nasty bruise on her face, she did realize that she did feel alone but she was changing that. She did tell Bobby what she intended to do… well the part about going to hell. The other part…

Angela frowned as she opened the door and toweled her hair deep in thought. She didn’t even see Sam until she ran into him. She ended up jumping like a scared girl and swearing in Italian. “Geez,” she added as she finished toweling her hair dry and tossed the towel on her bed. She ran a hand through her damp hair and sighed.

“Sorry.”

Angela looked at Sam’s apologetic face that looked even more pathetic with the cleaned up nose and the blood wiped away from his cheek and gave a slight smile as she rubbed her head, feeling her hair. She said the eyes had no effect. That was a lie because she liked the puppy look. She shook her head slightly and replied, “It’s not your fault Sam. I wasn’t paying attention.”

“I should of… uh,” Sam couldn’t think of anything to counter to that. He should have just left and come back later. Instead he took the spare she handed over when they checked in and walked right in. Even she didn’t do that to him or Dean; at least she knocked. He changed the subject, “Your eye?”

Angela was still rubbing her head. It was something to do and it made her feel better. “Maybe and I thought you were that stupid stuffed head in the basement for about 0.68 seconds.” She put down her hand and placed it on her hip. “Did you need something?”

Sam stared at Angela for a moment still feeling like he stuck his foot in his mouth big time before replying, “Uh… you didn’t finish…” He gestured to his face and inwardly felt stupid since that was cheesy.

Angela could see the look of embarrassment cross Sam’s face. She guessed that he was feeling like an idiot for coming in unannounced even though he had the key. She gave a short smile and had pity on him, “Sit down.”

She walked over to where she kept her bag and pulled out her antiseptic and a clean rag and walked to the table where she already had her yam stuff and her other stuff and sat in the seat opposite of Sam. She took a look at the cut under his eye. “You cleaned it pretty well. You don’t need me,” She teased and handed the bottle and rag over. To add to it, she got up and went back into the bathroom to grab the comb she left there.

Sam walked into that one. He actually took care of it in his room. He held the bottle and the rag and looked at the pile of stuff that was on the table. He had no idea what it was about and decidedly ignored it. “You’re right. I took care of it after you left. I… just wanted to see if your headache was better.”

Angela was combing out her hair in the bathroom, trying not to pull her hair out since it decided to get tangled. Her head did hurt where the cut was and her wrist was killing her since she was sure she fractured a bone there now. She finally got the last of the tangles out and tossed the comb carelessly on the counter like she did a major battle. “I didn’t have one.”

“Okay so…”

“You flinched and I figured my eye was worse off so there you go,” Angela shrugged her shoulder. Finding nothing better to do she sat down in the empty seat. “If I can’t see what I am doing then best thing is to back off.”

Sam thought that sounded weak but he did have to admit that the bruise on her face would be a good justification. “Okay. You need any help with…?” He motioned to her face.

Angela heard the question but had drifted off in thought. She reached for the yam and opened it with great difficulty while replying, “I got it.” The lid popped off and hit her wrist. Her lips twitched in pain and her good hand clenched the jar tightly.

Sam didn’t miss a beat. He put the other stuff down and grabbed the offended hand gently and watched her face. He looked at it still perturbed at the hand shape it and gently rotated it. “Broken?” He hoped not since it seemed that she tried to be reckless with an injury like that even though she explained the whole hardy Halfling thing.

“Fractured and hurts like a bitch,” Angela replied with gritted teeth. The jar in her hand looked like it was going to break if she clenched it any tighter but she couldn’t let it go. She did manage to get it on the table. She managed to relax a little and mutter, “Should go back and burn the house. Payback and I won’t have to see those stuffed heads.”

“What is it with you and stuffed animal heads?” Sam had to ask since that was twice she mentioned it. He didn’t try to take the jar out of her hand since she did have a death grip on it. He just dabbed his fingers in the stuff and started rubbing it as gently as he could on her wrist. He couldn’t do anything about the fracture but he could do something about the bruises.

“I don’t like them. They creep me out,” Angela replied as she drew up her knee to rest her chin on it. She managed to finally let go of the jar and wrap her free arm around it. “Bad memories too.”

“You’re afraid of them?”

“I don’t like them,” Angela corrected. She hadn’t failed to see the slight grin creep up on Sam’s face and narrowed her eyes slightly. “Just as you don’t like clowns.”

“Alright, alright,” Sam relented as he dabbed his fingers into the yam for more. The bruise was huge and he was probably overdoing it but better safe than sorry. He took a breath since he was now over the embarrassment from earlier and asked, “You heard what Daggett said through the door didn’t you?”

There was no point in spinning it out or even denying it. She replied, “You know Dean’s always saying I have the ears of a bat.” She paused a moment and made a slight movement with her head before added, “So yes.”

“Do you know what he meant?”

“Yes… and no. I don’t know.” Angela turned to look out the window while Sam got up to look through her medical bag.

He came back with an ACE bandage for her wrist. While it was a support, it was better than nothing since it was a fracture and he knew hospitals were out of the question and trying to convince her to go to a free clinic was like trying to convince a demon to plant a flower garden; it wasn’t going to happen unless she happened to know the attending physician. He started wrapping the wrist, testing the tightness on it and replied, “Does it have something to do with you wigging out in the house?”

“I think so. I never encountered a hot spot before that ran that high on emotions,” Angela replied looking to watch his handiwork. “It was no wonder that everything felt supercharged.”

“What exactly makes a hot spot?” Sam asked knowing that he might get a roundabout answer and he wouldn’t blame her. Neither he nor Dean had been receptive to that idea when she mentioned it while on the hunt.

“No one is really sure about the natural ones. Like I mentioned before, they are areas that are huge deposits of energy, the spiritual kind; they’re like supernatural nuclear reactors but less explosive.” Angela rested her head on her knee and began to think about it. They were lucky that Corbett was the cancelling factor and that he didn’t overdo it. Must be a ghost thing since she ended up a corpse when she played with that stuff. “The manmade ones… they could be anything. It takes a lot of work to make one from what I heard but the output is greater so anyone who wanted to have a surplus of energy for a ritual and knew what they were doing…”

“But that doesn’t explain the Morton House,” Sam replied as he finished the wrist. He gently rotated it to make sure she could still move and not put it under too much stress. “The guy OD’d on horse tranqs.”

“But he was afraid,” Angela replied as he released her wrist. “Fear is powerful. He was lonely and that added to his fear. He had three bodies that died from fear. Combination of the emotion and the power of death and boom, you got a hot spot. The fact that there were people who disappeared and then our little foray into that place… it added to it.”

That made sense but it didn’t explain her wigging out like she did nor did it really explain what Daggett meant by that she had already came to the party. “So why did you wig out?”

“I never really did explain how healers work did I?”

“Not really. You keep saying that you’re not since you were a killer.”

Angela drew up her other knee. Now that her wrist was bandaged, she could move it without feeling too much pain. “Well healers are born. It’s not a skill learned like witches and that hoopla. You may have noticed doctors that have the best bedside manners in the world or someone who lends a hand constantly and doesn’t care about who owes what. It is like an instinct fueled by a desire to help people. They tap into the spirit realm when they do their thing and that is where ghosts and reapers hang out. We can’t see them but they are there and you know the rest regarding spirits when they show up.”

“How does that go into the fear thing?”

“For me,” Angela chewed her lip slightly before continuing, “My healing mojo is not the only thing that touches that. The empath thing does too and I know I have this knack for sensing out ghosts.” She almost started rambling on.

“So you picked up on the fear and,” Sam looked at her. No wonder she was that relieved that they were finally out of the house and Daggett had been dealt with. “How bad?”

“You saw me. I was ready to get into a fight. I grew careless and nearly blinded myself and spacing out.” Angela shrugged her shoulders and sighed. “Free at last, free at last. God Almighty free at last.”

Sam could just imagine. No wonder she acted like she was on the happy pill. “So it was like being turbo charged and…”

“I wasn’t ready for it. Certainly I wasn’t ready to get a blast of everyone’s fear increasing when Daggett showed up.”

“What about you? I know that Daggett avoided you on purpose. I saw it when he took me and then he shoved you away.” Sam didn’t mean to push since he was starting to see the distress mingled with the recollection of everything. He had been doing good so far but she had gotten hurt and then he had caught a glimpse of Daggett reaching out to touch her and she was backing away in fear. Something must have caught the ghost’s attention. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to pry.”

“I have fears too. There are some things I experienced that I don’t want to ever share because they are that bad. The thing about being able to live a very long, long time is that memories don’t fade as easily.” Angela stood up and walked to the window. She crossed her arms and stared out at the empty lot. “There are things that bring up to the surface things that should stay buried. Words can never describe them accurately.”

Sam studied her staring out the window. He couldn’t help but wonder what was so awful that it would incite the reaction he saw. “So it is something that should stay buried?” He asked the question just to see if it was that. Then he would drop it.

“Yes and no.” Angela turned away from the window. “The no goes back to when I was a century old. That was when I first died. I was brought back by a situation similar to you and, as far as second chances go, I didn’t fear death anymore and killed the demon bastard that got me. The yes… that was later and clarified what I learned when I woke up from the dead.” She had been staring at the wall as she said that not quite wanting to see Sam’s reaction. She knew that Dean knew she had been brought back as the result of a deal as well as Bobby. She never clarified it to Sam though for some strange reason and now it came up and she decided he might as well know.

Sam debated inwardly how far he wanted to go. In the end, he decided against poking further. He waited until she finally decided to look at him and replied, “I guess then whatever it was, you snapped out of it since I saw you take a swipe at Daggett with your chakram.”

Angela was momentarily surprised that Sam wasn’t going to dig further. She expected it but she also had a modicum of knowledge that he would back off because of his respectful nature. The fact that he mentioned seeing her attack Daggett had her wondering how much he really saw. She didn’t see the point though of raising that issue and replied, “I recalled a similar incident. Funny how some of the same things blend in together. I was actually angry but it was Corbett who ended it. Courage does make a king out of a slave.”

“The same thing that makes the flag on a mast wave?” Sam wasn’t trying to be mean about lightening the mood a little but he couldn’t help it.

It did the trick though and Angela couldn’t help but smile. “Yep and the hot spot is gone.” When Sam gave a puzzled frown, she explained, “Hot spots that are manmade eventually burn out unless they are continually supplied like the Morton House. You can use up the energy in a big boom or you cancel it out. Basic algebra supernatural style.”

Sam raised his brow impressed. “Algebra?”

“Yep and there’s probably more technicalities and scientific babble that goes with it but I’m no expert.”

“Good theory,” Sam replied with a shrug. He probably wore out his welcome but at least he found out a little bit as to why Daggett said what he did. He did have the suspicion that there was more to it but he was shrewd enough to guess that it was in the realm of things that should stay buried. “Maybe you should have gotten a science degree instead of art.”

“I needed a major,” Angela huffed as she sat with a pout that was ruined by the smile that threatened. Conversation with either of her boys always gave a smile but Sam had the ability to make someone feel at ease. Dean could too she had noticed but only with her. His sex conquests were drawn in by charm and flirting. “Besides I do have a second masters… in political science and special emphasis on international relations.”

“Why am I not surprised?” Sam grinned at her to tease her. “Maybe you should have done pre-med.”

“Please,” Angela chuckled.

They talked some more while Sam took care of the bruise on her face even though she tried to do it herself. Sam insisted on treating the bruise and the gash on her head saying that he needed the practice. It was bull shit but Angela humored him and he responded by starting their quoting game. The mood lightened up so that they could head out to grab a bite. It was an interesting start when Sam opened the door to his room and Angela jumped back a foot after Dean waved a stuffed critter at her. “You are so dead, Dean.”


	12. Chapter 12

“So you still plan on doing this hell raising plan of yours in spite of what happened in the Morton House?” Crowley looked at his sweetheart with an annoyed expression. The fact that she was ignoring him was either a good thing or a bad thing depending on the situation. At least the look she shot him gave him fuel to continue, “Oh I know about the place and the fact that you were lit up like a Christmas tree in there.”

“Fuck off, Crowley. We’re not in school until later,” Angela murmured as she grabbed a paper and started contemplating on means of getting back at Dean for the stuffed ferret he found and waved in her face.

“I know that love but I just had to see how you were doing. After all fear is a powerful crippling effect,” Crowley replied as he reached up and began to stroke one of the loose tendrils that fell from the loose knot at the base of her head. He ran it through his fingers slowly to feel the silky smoothness. “And yet you managed to function without losing your mind.”

“And it’s a wonder I haven’t lost it talking with the likes of you,” Angela muttered. She was glad that she was alone for now and Crowley seemed to like to pop up when they weren’t around so she was somewhat safe. Then again she was dealing with a demon. “What the hell do you want?”

“Just stopping to smell the roses, love,” Crowley replied taking a slight whiff of her hair. “You definitely need to stick with that odorless stuff. Your natural scent comes out stronger.”

Angela inwardly cringed. She could feel Crowley’s breath on the back of her neck and it was too close a reminder of other times. “No fly zone Crowley. Now what the fuck do you want?” She had spoken through gritted teeth in an effort to not make a scene.

Crowley stepped back. This was twice she asked and both were in the tone of voice that said that she would rip his head off if he decided to get cute in his responses. She expected a certain amount of his charm but she was low on the patience with mind fucking. He rather liked it since that meant that she would take his lessons seriously but it also meant that she was not above killing him if she was tired of this arrangement. Okay he could get straight to business. “Alright love. I came to see if you finally understand why you need to give up this cause for Lilith.”

“So this is a campaign to get me to stop a plan that was literally dropped in my lap?”

“You nearly lost your mind in that house. What do you think is going to happen when you meet Lilith face to face? She will exploit the rawness of your emotions; the deepest, darkest secrets of your soul and bury you in it,” Crowley replied as he stared intently into Angela’s eyes. “You aren’t ready to face her and even if you were, you wouldn’t be able to do what is needed to get what you want from her.”

Angela stared back at Crowley. “Everyone has been telling me something similar. You. Ruby. Who are you going to send next? One of your underlings?”

“I admire your courage sweetheart but I am being serious. Lilith will skin you and quite frankly I don’t want that.”

“Oh you’re breaking my heart.”

“You may think that this is a joke sweetheart but it isn’t…”

“I know Crowley,” Angela interrupted. She held up her hand to stop him from continuing. “I know that Lilith wants me and not necessarily dead. If that were the case, she wouldn’t have sent one of her pets to bring me in alive.”

Crowley raised his brows in surprise. “I see. And who gave you that little tidbit? Ruby?”

“What do you care?” Angela twisted her features into a look of boredom as she studied the demon. “It’s not like you’ve warned me about her. I had to have a pet tell me and that was when said pet tried to break me.”

“Believe it or not I do care which is why I am here. I didn’t have to agree to teach you everything about making and breaking deals. I’m the king of the crossroads, love and I know a few more tricks than what you’ve learned so far. I could just as easily have turned the tables on you.”

“And yet you didn’t,” Angela replied as she crossed her arms. “So that tells me that if you were the good businessman that you are, you see me as an asset. Now the smart money is that a good asset is never wasted. You want something out of me and you probably will use this to hang over my head for a future business transaction.”

Crowley couldn’t help but smile and be proud of his sweetheart’s deduction abilities. “Very clever and that is a possibility but in the grand scheme of things you created our little contract and therefore it is your rules, not mine, that dictate out relationship. Though you probably have figured it out that I can use our little business transactions as blackmail. I am sure that Sam and Dean won’t be happy about it.”

Angela narrowed her eyes at Crowley. She was aware that she hardly looked intimidating with the bruise on her cheek. She joked with Sam that it looked like she went ten rounds with Rocky Marciano. He looked at her to see if she was serious. That was one thing that she would let him think about but honest truth, she did back Marciano’s corner and provided some training advice. She hadn’t known a thing about boxing but she knew fighting. Same principles but just toning it down enough.

Crowley voiced the very fears that she had. She knew that if they knew she was conversing with the king of the crossroads, they would demand the who, what, when, where and why. Then it would be Dean rounding in on her for even learning what she was learning about deals and she could imagine that hurt puppy look on Sam’s face. That alone tore her up. She looked at the demon and replied, “They know that I occasionally talk to your underlings.”

“If you mean Cary…”

“Don’t diss the little guy darling,” Angela replied, not meaning the sentiment at all. She used it loosely and to mock the demon. “Cary may be a little worm but even you have to admit that he knows things that your more self-respecting underlings would consider beneath them.” She turned to walk away. She then paused to turn and look at Crowley. “Besides, they met Cary, and they know how I deal with him.”

“Certainly you do. I have seen your handiwork on Cary. Very nice and permanent.”

“He was fucking with me,” Angela replied looking at Crowley. “Besides it led me to you.” She raised her brow in bemusement. It had been the plan to get his attention and she went through Cary. “And that was my plan all along.”

Crowley couldn’t help but grin. She was good and that was why he loved her. He had to admit that because of her run in with Cary, he became interested in her. So she had Cary put the word out that she was looking for him. “And now you’re stuck with me love. I’ll admit you made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.”

Angela gave a wry grin as she shook her head, “You always did like the mobsters.”

“It’s good business sense,” Crowley said with his shrug. He gave a slight grin in return. Their relationship wasn’t going to end anytime soon but he knew that she was setting the tone for it.

“Just like this is business,” Angela pointed between him and her. “So do you have anything useful for me?”

“Only that I have what you’ve been asking for. I think that if you do well with tonight’s lesson, I just might give it to you,” Crowley replied. “That is if you do well.”

Angela rolled her eyes. She knew what he meant by that. This was the retest coupled with the next lesson. She turned to walk back to the motel.

“Oh, incidentally one of my associates has gone missing,” Crowley said as she walked away. When she turned back he affirmed, “Oh yes. Cary is gone. You might want to think about that as you are making you game plan love.”

****

The garage was certainly a geek haven in Angela’s view. She raised a brow at all the equipment; the cameras, the computers and the viewing equipment. It was definitely geek central to her as she was ushered in with Sam and Dean. She took her seat between the boys and sat there waiting.

It was rather funny to Sam and Dean, more on Sam’s end because she looked like she was sitting down for tea. He knew though that position could mean anything. She once pounced on Dean for trying to hide an injury. It was funny because Dean looked very contrite and he had never seen his brother being cowed by someone with the look of a schoolmarm.

The appearance she was giving was vastly different from when she was in the Morton House and he could tell that the Ghostfacers were seeing that too. It was hard not to laugh at the looks on their faces as they watched her sit there. He had to chew on his lip when she said, “Hey, theatre was a lot different back in its heyday.”

Angela knew that she was making an interesting picture sitting the way she was. Part of it was out of habit when it came to visiting places like the movies or stage theatres. When you went, you sat in your seat and gave your full attention and that was straight up and at attention. She also had piano lessons as a girl and that played into it. It was pretty funny and she could tell that Sam was vastly amused and he was remembering the incident involving a certain book and an experiment gone wrong.

At least her face wasn’t an issue. Normally she didn’t wear makeup since she didn’t really need it. That was another thing about the vampire genes. The whole youthful look thing was the one thing that Hollywood got right. She was self-conscious about the bruise though and she didn’t want to give people the impression that her boys beat her up or anything so she pulled out her emergency kit and applied it to her face. She was wearing a jacket so she didn’t have to worry about her arms.

She was more concerned about what she learned from Crowley. After their lesson for the night, he actually had a genuine compliment. Not only did she get through the part where she failed miserably, she sailed through it as well as the other lesson. He said that she had the makings of a fine dealer. She guessed that it could be called a compliment. It was Crowley after all. After that he gave her what she had requested of him. Then she asked about his missing associate.

The fact that Cary was missing spelled some problems. Yeah there were more of his type that were itching to fill the spot of her personal stoolie but they didn’t have the connections Cary had. Her main concern was that Cary would sell her out to whoever had him. She was assuming a lot in that someone had him but that was the worst case scenario. Cary dealt in information; that was his main business. That meant he had the goods on her and anyone else that would be worth the dough.

If she had to venture a guess, the most likely candidate was Lilith. That would prove to be a problem. Not only did Lilith want Sam dead and her for whatever reason; actually she knew what it was about but she wasn’t telling and she wasn’t who Lilith thought she was, she had a good source of information and could counter anything she put up. Cary had no love for her and she knew that. He indulged because she was one of the few that gave him the biggest currency and that was his life since he knew she was a hunter.

She had to get Cary back. There was no other way and she couldn’t believe she was entertaining that idea. Certainly it would blow a gasket for Dean since he indicated through his actions that he was depending on her to keep Sam out of trouble and not just now but for when his ticket was up. Sam would probably be a bit more acceptable of the idea but he would raise objections too. Besides why should she do it? The only answer she could come up with was more of a tactical advantage.

Certainly that was on her mind as she was treated to the pilot episode that the amateurs came up with. She certainly was amused at what she saw. What had her worried was the fact that the parts she was in actually caught brief glimpses of her eyes flickering. It was brief, very brief and if you weren’t looking for it, you would miss it. She noticed that it was most prominent when Sam disappeared but it was not noticeable. She had to admit that she had been worried about what was going to show up. She did have to admit that the group had been circumspect about her wigging out.

The only exception she had was the showdown in the basement. Most of the action was caught like her chakram flying. She was suspicious at the cutting of her experience with Daggett. She was certain that it would come out but it wasn’t there. She watched with a raised brow at that as she watched. Apparently they caught her giving a hand up to the boys and she was slightly embarrassed that they got Dean’s shoving her behind Sam. The only impression they would get is that they were like her bodyguards or something.

She could admit that it was amusing in some aspects. Still she didn’t like the fact that they had the other footage stored on hard drives in this geek haven. She had always been careful about being caught on film. Some things couldn’t be avoided though… like the missing portrait that was somewhere out there.

_War changes man._

_And Maggie._

_War changes man and one woman. You know, Corbett, we just… Oh, gosh, we just like to think that you’re out there watching over us._

_As far as we’re concerns, you’re not an intern anymore. You have more than earned full Ghostfacer status. Plus it’d be cool to have a ghost on the team._

Angela raised her brow some more. She hadn’t shifted her position since the thing started. Her bandaged wrist was held up and her forefinger was rubbing her chin. It was more of an effort to refrain from laughing and chortling. While she was worried about her exposure, she was amused by the whole thing. They had talent with a camera but the subject matter was something that wasn’t for amateurs. She pursed her lips and her eyebrows were probably going to pop right out of her head as the tribute to Corbett showed on the screen.

“So guys, what do you think?”

Angela didn’t move but continued to rub her chin. Dean though replied to Ed’s question, “You know, I kind of this it was half awesome.” He glanced at her and Sam with an amused expression on his face.

“Half awesome. That’s full on good, right?” Maggie was excited for the opinion.

“I’ll admit to good camera work,” Angels finally said. It was more of politeness since she wanted to laugh a little. It was good if she wasn’t so worried about other things.

Sam looked at her and realized that she was holding in her amusement while trying to be a proper critic. He gave a slight smile as he looked at his brother and back at her. She was always so proper when it came to critiquing something. He added, “Yeah. I mean, it’s bizarre how y’all are able to, uh honor Corbett’s memory while grossly exploiting the manner of his death.” He turned to look at the Ghostfacers.

“Yeah. No, it’s a real tight rope you guys are walking,” Dean added after playing with something in his bag he left behind.

They were subject to some cockiness. Ed and Harry talked about sharing the footage with the world. Sam and Dean tried to explain that telling the truth got you a straightjacket or a punch in the face or sometimes both. Angela had bumped into the table where the computer was at that time and added in an undertone, “Or you end up getting your friend shot in the ass.”

She walked past Sam and Dean as they shared a look. “Yeah. Well, we’ll see you guys around,” Sam said.

“As long as it doesn’t involve lights and cameras,” Angela added. She followed Sam and Dean out.

Once at the car, Sam asked, “We clean?”

The noise coming from the garage was comforting as the three shared a smile as they got in. Dean explained, “Electromagnet. Wiped out every tape and hard drive they have.”

“Saved my ass Dean,” Angela replied with a slight smile on her face. She patted his shoulder.

“World just isn’t ready for the Ghostfacers… or the fact that there are people like you Angie,” Sam replied.

“That’s too bad. I kind of liked the show but we couldn’t let you get exposed Angie.” Dean looked back at her and gave her a smile. It wasn’t her fault by what happened there once Sam filled him in and she did too about the hot spot thing. He was doing his job of protecting his family.

“Tell me about it. I would be responsible for DBS’s… death by stupidity,” Angela replied. She chuckled, “But the show did have it’s moments. I don’t think I can recall any other time that had me near to bursting.”

Dean grinned as he started the engine. He peeled out of the driveway and onto the road. It was onward to the next case.

“Oh do you mind making a quick stop?”

****

Terry was wiping tables when the bell clanged to indicate that a customer was there. “Be with you in just a moment. Have a seat.”

It was roughly five minutes later before Terry was able to get to the customer. She looked around the dining room to find the customer. They usually found their own seats and that was it. Frowning, she wondered if someone was messing with her. She then looked at where the cashier stand was and there was that gorgeous woman that was in there before. She was back and she looked like hell.

Terry walked up to the woman and put on her best smile. As she got closer, she got the distinct impression that the woman had been in a fight or something. She could see a subtle darkness that looked like a bruise. She wondered if those two that were with her hit her or something. That kind of thing just made her angry. She carefully schooled her features and asked, “How can I help you?”

Angela smiled her best smile and replied, “Can I get one slice of all the pies you have for the day to go?”

“Pie?”

“Yep. I have a thing for pie. Thanks.” Angela kept smiling to put the waitress at ease.

Dean thought she was nuts for wanting to make a pit stop but when she mentioned that it was the diner they dined in, he started in on the jokes about a girl having the hots for her. She was well aware that men and women found her attractive and frankly she didn’t really notice it and she had eyes only for Sam so those singles out there were out of luck. Sam for his part tried to soften the jokes by saying that it was her charm… like that was a factor.

Angela just simply said that she wanted some pie. So here she was waiting for her pie. She knew that it was overkill ordering about twenty pieces of pie but she wanted road food since she was starving. Plus she had an idea that would work for a good prank on Dean as payback for the stuffed head thing. Originally she was going to use Dean’s fear of rats in a prank but she relented after he apologized once he realized that she really didn’t like them as much as Sam didn’t like clowns.

Terry fetched the twenty pieces of pie and she wondered where the woman put all that food and still managed to look so good. She handed the bag of twenty individual little boxes and a few disposable forks over to Angela. “There you go.”

Angela pulled out her wallet and the cash for the pie. She handed it over and said, “Keep the change as tip.”

Terry felt like she had received a gift from God with the attention from the woman was giving. “Thanks,” she replied giving a slightly bashful look.

Angela smiled and leaned in and then said, “No problem but I don’t swing that way.”

It was a letdown to Terry but she managed to keep smiling, “Oh.”

“Hey, there’s someone out there for you,” Angela replied. “I would just learn to control that ability of yours. Sometimes strong emotions aren’t a good mix.”

“How…?”

Angela smiled and fished a piece of paper out. She put it on the counter and slid it towards Terry. “Here, this is a phone number to a friend who knows a bit about these things. Give her a call and she’ll help you.” She stood up straight and took the bag and started walking towards the door.

“Who are you?”

Angela paused. She turned to look back at the waitress. She replied, “Just someone who knows a thing or two about your special talents. Have a nice day.” She then walked out and headed to where the boys were waiting.

“So did she ask you out?”

Angela shot a look at Dean and replied, “No. I just ordered some pie.”

“Pie?” Sam frowned.

“I was hungry. Actually starving for carbs,” Angela replied as she sat back in her seat. “I didn’t get to finish my pie since someone decided to have a snack before the hunt.” She gave a pointed look towards Dean as he started the car.

“Hey. I think I deserved it since the incident before that.”

“I told you I didn’t do it,” Angels replied as she popped open a box that held the key lime. “The waitress did.”

“What?”

“The waitress did. I figured it out after we left. The motion was more emotion fueled and after you mentioned her attraction, I figured she didn’t like what you said.” Angela took a bite and savored the taste. She could torture Dean by making moaning sounds of pleasure but she was self-conscious about it in front of Sam.

Dean kept his eyes on the road. “Okay so what is she?”

“Probably a witch. Don’t worry Dean. I gave her the number of a friend. A specialist and possibility someone to keep the girl busy.”

Dean grinned, “Playing matchmaker eh? Who knew?”

“Fang Boy and Akira I introduced and they’re a thing now. They deserve it.”

Dean didn’t reply and neither did Sam. It was a peculiar response. Dean suspected that it was a double meaning and he was itching to set the record straight but not in front of Sam. He glanced at the mirror to see Angela looking back. She gave a slight nod as she finished her pie.

_… Loss cannot be described in words, only felt. To lose everything, that would be death because in the end I would be alone…_


End file.
